November 3/Closter, N.J./American Key Food Products Press Release -- American Key Food Products (AKFP) announced the application for a patent for its gluten-free King Lion Premium Cassava Flour and the proprietary manufacturing process developed by the company.  AKFP also states that it has begun commercial production of the specialty flour.

“We have invested more than a year in developing and perfecting this product and process which yields a unique natural ingredient that is an effective, simple replacement for wheat flour in most baked goods,” says Carter Foss, AKFP technical sales director. “King Lion Premium Cassava Flour is distinctly different in properties and functionality than any cassava-based ingredients or any other wheat flour replacers. Derived from cassava root, which is naturally gluten-free, King Lion Premium Cassava Flour has superior moisture retention properties, with baking performance characteristics that closely mimic wheat flour in the structure, texture and taste of the finished baked goods. Bakers can now deliver excellent gluten-free products without complex combinations of flours, starches and hydrocolloids, and present a greatly simplified, consumer-friendly ingredient statement on their label.”

Because in most cases, this cassava flour is the only ingredient needed to replace wheat flour, the formulations, production processes, ingredient inventories, and ingredient lists on labels are greatly simplified, AKFP says. King Lion Premium Cassava Flour has been shown to perform well in products as diverse as cookies, cakes, muffins, pancakes, tortillas, foccaccia, pizza crust, burger buns and breads.

“I love the flavor of this flour, which is very close to the taste of wheat flour,” says Chef Mark Hetzel, culinary consultant to AKFP. “Also, with gluten free you often get gummy or dry, crumbly texture and mouthfeel. But with this flour, you get nice structure and crumb and a pleasing, moist mouthfeel, very close to what you would have in products made from wheat flour.  In most cases, such as in pastries, cakes, cookies, foccaccia, burger buns, and even bread, most people would never guess they were eating a gluten-free product.”

From the November 15, 2010, Prepared Foods E-dition