Fortified Gluten-Free Bakery Products: Technological, Sensorial and Nutritional Approaches

Abstract

The prevalence of gluten-related disorders (GRDs) is increasing worldwide. Theonly currently accepted treatment is the strict adherence to a gluten-free (GF)diet lifelong. Several studies have revealed that a GF diet may lead to nutrientdeficiencies, especially in dietary fibre, vitamins, and minerals such as iron. Irondeficiency anaemia is commonly present in coeliac disease, recently diagnosed, and could be persistent despite adherence to a GF diet. GF breads (GFBs) aremainly formulated based on refined flours and starches, which are, in general,not fortified as the gluten-containing counterpart, contributing to an unbalanceddiet in people with GRDs. There are several approaches to enhance the iron content; however, the effect of mineral addition on technological, sensory, and nutritional properties should be taken into account. This chapter aims to reviewdifferent fortified food-based approaches, including traditional strategies such asthe addition of different iron compounds; the inclusion of ingredients naturallyiron-source such as whole cereals, pseudocereals, and pulses; the application oftechnological tools for the enhancement the iron-bioaccessibility in GFBs; andfinally, to discuss the new challenges and opportunities to be solved.