Viability of some probiotic coatings in bread and its effect on the crust mechanical properties

The objective of this study was to obtain functional bread combining the microencapsulation of Lactobacillus acidophilus and starch based coatings. Different probiotic coatings (dispersed or multilayer) were applied onto the surface of partially baked breads. In all treatments, microencapsulated L. acidophilus survived after baking and storage time, although reduction was higher in the sandwich treatment (starch solution/sprayed microcapsules/starch solution). Despite coatings significantly affected the physicochemical properties of the crust, increasing water activity and reducing the failure force, the sensory evaluation revealed a good acceptability of the functional breads. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the presence of scattered microcapsules onto the bread crust, being highly covered in the sandwich coating. Therefore, L. acidophilus included in microcapsules can be incorporated to bread surface through edible coatings, leading functional bread with similar characteristics to common bread, but with additional healthy benefits.