CENTENNIAL, COLO. — Penford Food Ingredients Co. has introduced PenTechGF, an ingredients system designed for gluten-free baked foods and coatings. PenTechGF allows manufacturers, processors and food service companies to develop lines that have gluten-free attributes along with the visual, mouthfeel and flavor of wheat-based items, said John Randall, president of Centennial-based Penford Food Ingredients.

“For example, restaurants and food service operations can now offer gluten-free products as mainstream items, not as menu after-thoughts,” he said. “A company can simply state that all their crispy, fried or baked goods are naturally and deliciously gluten-free.”

The PenTech system may be used to create such baked foods as bread, rolls, muffins, pizza crust, pie crust, cookies and cake. The system allows for volume to give bread height, textures that are not too gummy or too dry, crumb grain for muffins that is open and slightly coarse, a resilient body for pastries to prevent crumbling, cakes that are light and fluffy, or a neutral flavor to pizza dough or pie crusts.

The breaded coating may be used with batter-coated and fried meats, vegetables, chicken and seafood. A gluten-free fish batter mix includes a newly developed corn starch.