Date: 27/06/2025

The search for convenience, driven by changes in consumer habits, has stimulated the advancement of various technologies in the food industry, including solutions for breading. In this scenario, the use of specific flours developed to obtain structure, particle size, reduced fat absorption, and greater thermal resistance has been applied to different food categories, such as fresh meat, processed meat, fish, poultry, and snacks, with the aim of meeting various texture and appearance standards.

In this blog, we address the main technical aspects of breading technology, explain how different types of flours work, when to apply them in each product category, and present BRF Ingredients' solutions to meet the industry's needs.

Topics:

Breading technology with functional flours

Breading is the stage of processed food production in which it is possible to develop sensory aspects such as crispness, uniform coloration, and crunchiness through the use of specific breading flours.

The process generally involves applying a sequence of layers consisting of pre-breading flour, binding flour, and final flour. This sequence can be adjusted according to the characteristics of the product or the desired functionality, affecting the behavior of the food during frying, freezing, and consumption (Dill et al., 2009).

For the final coating stage, the composition of the flour influences the crispness and final appearance of the product, with the use of cereals such as wheat, corn, or rice being common. According to Freitas et al. (2005), corn improves the adhesion of the binding layer by absorbing surface moisture, ensuring greater uniformity and retention of the breading.

In addition, the extrusion process, when applied to these ingredients, physically modifies the structure of the raw materials, such as shape and texture, optimizing their sensory and functional characteristics for use in breaded foods (Embrapa).

This process modifies the physical and nutritional properties of the ingredients, improving their hydration capacity, texture, and sensory performance.

According to Luvielmo and Dill (2008), breading adds value to the final product, improves shelf life, and stimulates innovation within the food industry, which constantly seeks differentiation through functional technologies.

How do the main types of Breadcrumbs from BRF Ingredients work?

Among the variety of application options are cracker-type flours and expanded flours, both processed by extrusion, but with distinct structural and functional characteristics.

Cracker-type flour has a denser, flatter, and more compact grain size, which promotes the formation of a firm and uniform crust and delivers a crunchier texture, which is noticeable when consumed and valued in products that require greater mechanical resistance when bitten.

In addition, these characteristics allow for good adhesion and stability during frying and baking, resulting in a visually homogeneous coating with a low detachment rate. Its use is common in breaded products that require a regular finish.

On the other hand, expanded flour has granules with a more rounded and porous morphology. With these characteristics, it provides lightness and greater air incorporation, favoring the development of a crispy crunchiness, marked by a dry, light texture that breaks easily when bitten.

Ideal for products that require a more voluminous breading with an aerated texture, this version also performs better in frying and baking, with good coating retention and high yield potential, as it covers more areas with less product.

Both options offer significant production advantages, such as thermal stability, controlled behavior in the presence of moisture, and ease of application in automated lines. Therefore, the choice between them should consider the desired sensory effect, such as crispiness, light texture, and attractive appearance, as well as the characteristics of the meat mixture to which it will be applied.

As part of BRF, one of the world's largest food companies, BRF Ingredients operates as a business unit dedicated to adding value to co-products from the agricultural chain. Applying an approach focused on innovation and sustainability, it develops functional solutions for the nutrition, health, and wellness industries.

With a Food Ingredients portfolio that includes options such as natural flavours and soy proteins and much more, the company serves various segments of the food industry with high-performance, traceable, and standardized ingredients.

Within this line, Breadcrumbs stand out for their ability to add texture, flavor, and visual appeal to final products. Produced from natural raw materials such as wheat and corn, BRF Ingredients' Breadcrumbs undergo a technological extrusion process that ensures grains with different colors, sizes, and densities.

The result is functional ingredients capable of precisely meeting the requirements for crispness, uniformity, and adhesion in high-performance breading. In addition, the variety of particle sizes allows for applications according to the specific needs of each type of product, including processed meats and snacks.

Among the options available in the BRF Ingredients portfolio, the Cracker and Expanded Breadcrumbs stand out. They are produced with natural raw materials such as wheat and corn and undergo an extrusion process that ensures stability, crispness, and texture.

In this formulation, the Cracker version has denser and more uniform granules, ideal for forming a firm and structured crust, while the Expanded version has more porous and lighter particles, providing an aerated and crispy coating. Due to these characteristics, the flours adapt to different industrial applications, contributing to the performance of the final product in terms of flavor, appearance, and yield.

Both are developed to facilitate industrial application and ensure consistency in the finish of the final product, being sold in packages of 12 to 20 kg, easily adapting to industrial scale.

Final considerations

Across the food production chain, the choice of functional ingredients influences industrial performance and the final consumer experience.

Breadcrumbs play a strategic role in food formulation, going beyond their coating function to bring different textures to the finished product, which provides more consumption options.

Therefore, understanding the technical characteristics of each type of flour allows for optimized performance on the line and ensures a superior sensory experience for the consumer.

With a portfolio developed under 100% integrated processes, BRF Ingredients offers functional options for brands seeking innovation and consistency in their formulations, as both versions meet different application and texture needs.

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