Bakery customers keep expecting more and more out of baked goods, like more protein in bread or sweet goods. It’s the talk of the industry: How can I make protein rich products, and what are alternative proteins?

If you have any doubts about the relevance of this topic, then know at the IFT 18 Expo—one of the largest events of its kind—a whole track was committed to the subject. And that’s a big deal. I chat with Brendan Niemira, a USDA research leader and chair of the Annual Meeting Scientific Program Advisory Panel (AMSPAP) who is responsible for selecting programing for IFT. He fills me in on the intensive and inclusive process that involves over 20 tracks. This year, submissions from all tracks such as food chemistry, microbiology and sustainability kept bringing up protein. So they decided it deserved a deepdyve.

You can listen to the proteins programming, and all the other sessions from IFT 18 on their website.

There’s a lot to consider:

• Where does the protein source come from and how is regulated and inspected?
• How can it be fitted into your formula?
• How will it make your product taste or look?

As Linda Ohr, a contributing editor for Food Technology Industry Magazine explains, protein is one of the big healthy halos right now getting a lot of buzz from the public. Its health benefits extend to all ages of life. And companies are innovative with alternative sources: whey, dairy, pulse, pea, almond and even rice.

So how are you going to add protein?