GrainsWest Tech 2020

Tech 2020 Grains West 22 Using X-ray microtomography at the CLS, the team looked at the earliest stages of the bread making process to observe real-time changes in the dough without cutting the samples open, which would destroy their bubble structure completely. Being able to look at intact samples allowed them to look at elements of the microstructures, including how many bubbles were entrained in the dough and how they developed in the baking process. “We needed a very powerful X-ray source for this because the changes in the bubbles are very rapid. Image resolution of the CLS synchrotron is very high. Using X-rays, we can extract the 3D structure of bread dough and determine the distribution of the bubbles,” said Koksel. She added this kind of analysis would not have been possible without the synchrotron. “Time at the CLS is really precious. We started this as a five-year project with 20 to 30 wheat varieties and several salt concentrations and different treatments. At different points of the study we cut down, picking the better varieties and treatments at each step,” she said. “When we went to the CLS we tested two wheat varieties and three to four salt concentrations and mixing times.” Ultimately, the researchers found they could reduce sodium content of non- yeast dough by more than 20 per cent without changing the texture or flavour of the bread, but doing so is not easy. The recipe and preparation, including sodium level and mixing time, must be carefully balanced. Looking ahead, Koksel is keen to return to the CLS and expand on this work by including yeast-based formulas with additional ingredients such as whole grains. She would also like to reach beyond bread to study popular consumer products such as muffins and bagels. ACCELERATED INNOVATION As a research facility, the CLS accelerates particles and ideas. With its team of more than 250 scientific and technical staff, it offers a community of international researchers from many disciplines the opportunity to collaborate, innovate and create new ways to approach problems. “Working at the CLS, you learn a lot because it’s not one discipline, it’s an international community,” said Karunakaran. “I get to see how these technologies are being used by a chemist, physicists, environmental scientists andmedical doctors to solve their problems, and then adapting their techniques to help solve agriculture problems. “Adoption of technology can sometimes happen a little slower in agriculture. Now that people understand what’s possible, more are coming to the synchrotron with their ideas.” Pictured here at the facility’s mid-infrared beamline, Chithra Karunakaran is the Canadian Light Source manager of environmental and earth sciences. She has led a push to expand the system’s focus on agricultural research projects. FEATURE