Bread, agar

With the exception of starch, many biopolymers cannot provide nutrition for humans and other omnivorous animals. In human foods biopolymers are used as additives that can improve texture, viscosity, fiber content, and other properties of prepared foods, without providing direct nutritional values. Examples of such utilization are the addition of pectins, agar, and other gums to foods to achieve thickening and gelling effects. Another example of potential large-scale utilization of cell wall biopolymers is the dramatic improvement in the texture and rising of breads prepared from com and other starches by the addition of xylans (78). 

As with agar, pectin has also been used to strengthen starch gels.1055 Earlier reports indicate concentrations of up to 5% of pectin as a useful ingredient in baked food products,1059 but a later paper suggests that pectin is an undesirable component in bread, because it retards firmness and hastens baking.1060... 

Harris N.D., Karahdian C. and Lindsay C.R. (1986) Musty aroma compounds produced by selected molds and actinomycetes on agar and whole wheat bread. J. Food Protection, 49, 964-970. 

A colloidal suspension which contains either gelatin, pectin, or agar. It can be flavored with fruit juice or synthetic flavors and colors. Some jellies are used as spreads on breads, others may be used as an accompaniment to meats. 

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