Cassava starch and chickpea flour pre-treated by microwave as a substitute for gluten-free bread additives.

There is an increasing demand for gluten-free products, which are regularly made by a combination of ingredients and additives. Microwave pre-treatment of gluten-free ingredients is an alternative to food additives because it may induce changes in protein and starch functional properties. In this context, this study aimed to apply microwave treatment in cassava starch and chickpea flour, analyzing their functional and thermal properties and their ability to substitute additives in gluten-free breads, comparing them to an additive-containing bread. All formulations were analyzed regarding their physical characteristics and quality parameters. The microwave-treated ingredients showed color, thermal properties and morphology changes. The bread made with chickpea flour treated with initial moisture of 40% showed the best quality parameters when compared to the control bread. The ingredients pre-treated with microwave have shown efficiency on gluten-free bakery additives substitution, allowing the use of a clean label terminology.