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Gluten-free, vegan, protein-free, no-fat fried doughnuts (pl pączki) – increasingly, some traditionally used ingredients are being swapped for ones with pro-health properties. Technologically, such variants are not a challenge. However, these additives affect the texture of the dough and, therefore, the texture, taste and flavour of the final product. On Fat Thursday (pl Tłusty Czwartek), Dr Marianna Raczyk talks about the latest baking trends.

– Although the yeast dough recipe itself has not changed for years, it is now increasingly common to find modifications, depending on consumer preferences, the food technology and human nutrition expert points out.

Bakery trends

Nowadays, you can easily find vegetarian doughnuts (without frying in lard), vegan doughnuts (with a substitute for eggs and milk in the dough) or gluten-free doughnuts (with a substitute for gluten, present in wheat flour, which is responsible for the elasticity of the dough) in patisseries.

– One of the latest trends is to bake doughnuts, instead of frying them in fat. Such a doughnut will have fewer calories and less fat, including less unfavourable saturated acids for health. However, it will also have a strongly altered taste – points out Dr Marianna Raczyk.

Another idea is to replace certain ingredients traditionally used with those with more health-promoting properties. This involves, for example, replacing ‘white’ flour with whole-grain flour to increase the proportion of dietary fibre and micronutrients; or replacing sugar with xylitol, stevia or another sweetener.

– When it comes to the traditional doughnut vs healthy food, one excludes the other. The doughnut consists mainly of simple sugars and saturated fats, so it is a product that is simply meant to give us pleasure. But manufacturers make various attempts to make it contain a bit more nutrients, e.g. by increasing the proportion of protein (cottage cheese-based or whey-based dough), by increasing the proportion of fibre (addition of bran, flaxseed or chia seeds) or by using low-sugar marmalades as a filling – says the scientist.

– All these modifications do not cause major technological problems, but they always affect the dough consistency, texture, taste or even smell of the final product. This is why, on Fat Thursday, many consumers are still looking for the most traditional doughnuts – after all, it is to these traditional doughnut shops that the longest queues form – emphasises Dr Marianna Raczyk.

A closer look at the traditional doughnut

As Dr Marianna Raczyk reminds us, a traditional doughnut consists of a yeast dough which, in addition to wheat flour, water and yeast, usually also contains eggs, milk, butter and sugar. – After the dough has fermented, the dough ball is placed in deep fat heated to 180℃ and fried from one side to another – because, by definition, a doughnut is a deep-fried product. The dough is so light that the doughnut does not submerge, but floats on the fat. Hence the characteristic light ring around the doughnut – it marks the place where the doughnut has no longer had direct contact with the heated fat. If there is no such border, the doughnut was produced using a different technology – she points out.

– The doughnut is traditionally fried in lard, something that is unlikely to be encountered nowadays, except perhaps at home. In the food industry, doughnuts are fried in a special fritter, a mixture of vegetable oils that can withstand prolonged heat. However, the mixtures are often controversial because they consist mainly of saturated acids, which are unfavourable for our health, and it is worth remembering that up to around 20 per cent of this fat can be absorbed by the dough during frying. Interestingly, studies show that lard is not so bad for frying, as it has few trans fatty acids and more monounsaturated acids, compared, for example, to butter or hydrogenated vegetable oils – reports the scientists.

On average, one traditional doughnut contains 250-350 kilocalories. – In terms of calories, it is better to choose doughnuts with a fruit filling rather than a cream filling. Creams are made on the basis of saturated fats, so the calorie content of a doughnut can increase by up to 100 kcal – according to Dr Marianna Raczyk.

Finally, the scientist, who is currently researching the links between diet and gene expression and their impact on health, reminds us that every doughnut eaten is an extra shot of calories, which must then be burned off somehow, e.g. through extra physical activity.

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Renewing the sense of community, the collegial development of both a new mission and new strategic goals for the Institute and improving the transparency of internal communication – these are among the priorities of Prof. Monika M. Kaczmarek, who took over as Director of the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn at the beginning of the year.

You have been Director of the Institute for over a month now. What were the first challenges?

Monika M. Kaczmarek: Probably the biggest current challenge – not only for me, but for the Institute as a whole – is to find oneself in a new organisational structure, changed by the previous director. We now have one research division (and not two, as before) and one deputy director for scientific affairs. We also have a new division into research teams, laboratories. And, of course, we have new premises, to which we moved in December. Previously we operated in different locations, but today we work in one place. I see great opportunities in all of this, in many fields.

What is your strategy for the management of the Institute?

M.M.K.: People are most important to me and most of my plans revolve around them. This approach resonates with my personal values and my belief that a strong scientific community is the foundation of any well-functioning Institute. I would like us to feel like one community again – both scientifically and socially.

One step in this direction will be to change the functioning of the Institute on the basis of a more collegial management model. I have already taken the first steps in this by, among other things, organising meetings with particular groups of employees, e.g. heads of research teams and doctoral students. Further meetings with other groups will be systematically planned. Their overarching aim is to increase employee involvement in the Institute’s functioning so that we can jointly develop strategic directions for its development. Final decisions will remain my responsibility, but I am keen to create a space for open discussion and cooperation.

I would also like to remind us all that we form one community and that each of us – no matter what our role – plays a vital role in the functioning of this complex machine. In order for it to function well, all the pieces need to be well synchronised and some – if necessary – properly streamlined and ‘oiled’.

Can you give examples?

M.M.K.: One of them is to improve the transparency of internal communication at the Institute. I want the staff not only to be kept up to date with what is happening, but also to have the opportunity to express their opinions. To this end, I am organising the aforementioned meetings with staff, ensuring an open-door policy, and in the coming months I will be taking further measures to improve communication at the Institute.

What other values are a priority for you?

M.M.K.: I am also committed to inclusiveness and creating equal opportunities for all employees, regardless of their position or career stage. I would like everyone to have a clear career path, which requires the development of transparent promotion rules and a support system to help them reach the next stages of their scientific or administrative careers.

And how would you like to support scientific staff?

M.M.K.: I believe that we need to think more interdisciplinarily and step out of our narrow areas. We have well-trained staff who have gained experience in very good foreign laboratories and units. We also have many young, ambitious scientists. If we combine our competences and focus on interdisciplinarity, we will conduct research at an even better level and be more successful in applying for prestigious grants. In this area, it will be important to streamline the grant application process, organise competent project teams and establish cooperation with key partners in Poland and abroad, and with the economic environment.

Do you also have plans to develop a new mission statement for the Institute, linked to the recent rebranding around the slogan: ‘InLife’?

M.M.K.: Of course, this is one of my priorities. I already have a certain vision for this mission, but I want it to be created with the participation of employee representatives, with whom we will jointly establish our strategic objectives. I think this document will be ready by the end of the first half of the year at the latest.

I also want to emphasise a long-term strategy for the development of the Institute, so that we act in a thoughtful and coherent way rather than impulsively.

Does the budget bother you?

M.M.K.: Very much. We have a lot of commitments arising from the construction of our new premises, and the process of selling our old Institute buildings will still take time. However, together with the whole team, we are doing everything we can to regain liquidity as quickly as possible. I’m an optimist and assume that nothing is impossible – action on many fronts is key.

And what are your plans for extending the Institute’s cooperation with the social and economic environment?

M.K.: As far as cooperation with the social environment is concerned, I would like to focus even more on popularisation and education, for example by cooperating with schools in Olsztyn and the region on a permanent basis. This is a very important topic for me personally, because on the one hand it raises the awareness of children and young people about the work and role of a scientist, and on the other it may encourage young people to take up a scientific career in the future. 

For me, cooperation with business is a key area where I see great potential for development. I want the Institute to become a strategic partner for companies, especially in the fields of biotechnology, innovative food production and human and animal health. I plan to intensify activities related to technology transfer and commercialisation of research results, e.g. through joint research and development projects and supporting initiatives that will allow us to effectively put our scientific achievements into practice.

Other plans? Perhaps for the long-term future?

M.M.K.: One such long-term plan that I would like to realise is to set up an external advisory body at the Institute in the form of an international advisory board. Such bodies are already in place at some universities and at several scientific institutes. I believe that such a board could bring a fresh perspective to the Institute’s activities, help define research priorities and increase our visibility internationally. It would also be useful to see ourselves through the eyes of those outside our scientific ‘bubble’ and use their perspective to develop the Institute’s full potential.

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Read more about the new role of Prof. Monika M. Kaczmarek here.

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