Bug-damaged crops can be salvaged by a complex of enzymes, ascorbic acid and acidity regulators to create bakery products such as pizza crusts and crackers, says bakery ingredients supplier Mühlenchemie.

Flour improvers Alphamalt BE 19124 and Alphamalt WT 1, in particular, increase volume yield and the quality of the crumb of dough, according to a series of recent tests by the Germany based specialist on Romanian and Bulgarian bug-damaged flour.

The flour enhancers are ideal for creating flat bakery products, said Lutz Popper, head of research and development at Mühlenchemie, but he told this publication that the flour produced from damaged crops is not as suitable for goods requiring high volume.

This is because the enzymes present in flour made from damaged crops mean the dough has lack of stability, he said, adding that this will not be a major issue in Eastern European markets, where consumers are used to dense bakery products.