Food Nutrition Facts

Leavening agents

A leavening agent can be defined as a material, which is used to give an effect of foaming action. It is also called simply "leavening" or "leaven".
Any leavening agent after reacting with moisture, acidity, heat or other activating agents generates gas, which gets trapped inside the dough or batter as air bubbles and when the dough is placed inside the oven for baking, the leavening agent escapes giving the cakes, breads and other baked foods their spongy, soft structure.
There are mainly three types of leavening agents, chemical, biological, mechanical leavening agents.

• Chemical leavening agents: they release CO2 when reacts with heat, moisture and acids. A salt is formed which causes the fluffiness. This is the principal type of leavening agent used. Examples include: Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), baking powder, ammonium and potassium bicarbonate.
• Biological leavening agents: microorganisms that has the power to release CO2 when reacts with water are used for this purpose. Yeast is the most common biological agent used.
• Mechanical leavening agent: creaming is the process of mechanical leavening.

Benefits of eating Leavening agent

Creates the much-delighted fluffiness inside cakes, breads and the baked products.

Risk

As most of the chemical-leavening agents are alkaline in nature, it should be used cautiously.

Suggestion

Try to use biological leavening agents as much as possible to lessen the possible harmful effect in our body.

Recommended daily allowance

10-50 mg is the maximum permissible limit daily.