Dough Conditioners

Processing_aid

Baking

Overview

Dough conditioners including L-cysteine, azodicarbonamide, and DATEM modify gluten structure to enable high-speed industrial bread production. These additives allow 10x faster production than traditional breadmaking methods.

39,058

Products contain this

1,901

Ingredient variations

Common forms

Azodicarbonamide, DATEM, SSL, L-cysteine, enzymes

Function

Dough conditioners reduce mixing time, improve gas retention, and standardize texture across varying flour qualities. They enable mechanical processing that would destroy traditional dough structure.

Sources

L-cysteine was historically derived from human hair or duck feathers, now produced through fermentation. Azodicarbonamide is synthetically manufactured specifically for food and plastics industries.

Health Considerations

Azodicarbonamide decomposes to form semicarbazide, showing weak carcinogenic activity in animals. DATEM may affect cardiac muscle based on animal studies at high doses.

Regulatory

FDA permits azodicarbonamide at 45ppm though it is banned in EU and Australia. L-cysteine has GRAS status with specific usage limits in baked goods.

Common Variations (50 total)

2% or Less of Baking Soda,Azodicarbonamide),Azodicarbonamide (Ada)],Azodicarbonamide [Ada]); White Pasteurized Processed Cheese: Water,Azodicarbonamide And/or Enzymes),Baking Powder and Baking Soda and Ammonium Hydrogen Carbonate as Leavening Agents,Baking Powder (Glucono Belta Lactone,Baking Soda (Leavening Agent),Calcium Sulfate Datem,Contains 2% or Less of: Datem,Cottonseed Oil Azodicarbonamide,[Datem]and 38 more...