Mejorante

A 'mejorante' is a Spanish term, primarily used in baking and food science, referring to a substance or ingredient added to a recipe to improve the quality, texture, shelf life, or overall performance of the final product. It works by interacting with other ingredients, affecting aspects such as dough development, volume, crumb structure, moisture retention, and resistance to spoilage. Mejorantes can be chemical, enzymatic, or a combination thereof, and their specific function is dependent on their composition and the application. They are carefully dosed to achieve desired outcomes without negatively affecting the flavor or safety of the food.

Mejorante meaning with examples

• The bakery incorporated a 'mejorante' into its bread recipe to enhance gluten development, resulting in loaves with a lighter, airier crumb and a longer shelf life. This improvement allowed for greater production volume without a compromise in product quality.
• The 'mejorante' in the cake mix contributed to a more uniform texture and a more stable emulsion of ingredients during baking. This resulted in a less dense cake, and one that remained moist for longer. The customers were very happy.
• When producing commercial pastries, the food technologist added a specific 'mejorante' to reduce the stickiness and improve the dough's machinability, allowing the dough to be worked efficiently without any problems.
• The research team investigated the effects of different 'mejorantes' on the resilience of cookies, finding that some could significantly extend their crispy texture. The goal was to create a stable and shelf-ready product for retail.
• To improve the overall quality of the finished tortillas, a small amount of 'mejorante' was used to prevent the tortillas from drying out or crumbling prematurely after packaging. The aim was to create a product that could be used with ease at home.