Chemical Raising Agents: Analysis of Baking Ingredients

This report provides a comprehensive overview of chemical raising agents, essential ingredients in baking and food preparation. It begins with an introduction to chemical raising agents, explaining their function of releasing carbon dioxide through reactions with heat, acidity, and moisture. The report then details the major types of chemical raising agents, including baking powder, potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, cream of tartar, and ammonium bicarbonate, categorizing them into sodium bicarbonate, cream of tartar, and baking powder. It further explores food preparation techniques like baking, boiling, blanching, and braising. The report examines experiments related to chemical leavening agents, including the use of encapsulation for slow-release agents. It discusses various types of chemical raising agents such as sodium bicarbonate, cream of tartar, and baking powder, and their properties. Finally, the report describes an experiment to investigate the role of chemical raising agents, considering factors like how air gets into food and what maintains air volume. The report concludes by summarizing the role of chemical raising agents in food preparation and their impact on the size and texture of baked goods.

Running head: CHEMICAL RAISING AGENTS 0
CHEMICAL RAISING AGENTS
Name of student
Institution affiliation

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Aim
To understand some of the Chemical Raising agents and to know how to use them
Introduction
Chemical raising agents are chemical moistures or compound which basically release carbon
dioxide when the reaction occurs between them and heat, acidity and moisture. They normally
leave behind a chemical salt (Keen, 2010). They are also known as chemical leaveners and are
employed in quick bread cakes. Some of the major chemical raising agents include;
i. Baking powder
ii. Potassium Bicarbonate ( Potash )
iii. Bicarbonate of Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate and Baking Soda )
iv. Potassium Bitartrate (Cream of Tartar)
v. Ammonium Bicarbonate (Horn Salt )
Ingredients
But these can be put into three main types as below:
1. Sodium bicarbonate (sodium carbonates): This is employed in gingerbread and soda
bread. It is always basic in nature (Alkali).
2. Cream of tartar: This is an acid also known as potassium hydrogen tartrate and it is
used together with bicarbonate of soda to give the acid ingredient for baking powder.
This ingredient is always put to stabilize beaten white egg during cooking to help
increase the volume of egg and is also added to whipped cream. Due to the chemical

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reaction that takes place when cream of tartar is mixed with an Alkaline and bicarb of
soda is mixed with something acidic – they can also be used as cleaning agents around
the home
3. Baking powder: This is prepared from a base, bicarbonate of soda and also the acid,
cream of tartar. Baking powder has a drying agent mixed with it to stop it reacting in the
packet. Baking powder can also be used instead of yeast to make bread. If you don't have
baking powder at home you can make your own by mixing together; cream of tartar,
bicarb of soda (both explained below). Baking powder is put to plain flour to make self-
rising flour, so you can always do this if you have run out of self-rising flour.
Experiments one
Chefs are professionals who have generally attained a given technical capacity in
preparation and handling of food. Food preparation techniques may, therefore, include the
following; baking which is considered as the method of lengthy time in making food by heat dry
acting by convection, mostly in a microwave oven. Baking can as well be done on hot stones.
Boiling is another form of food preparation technique. It involves the rapid vaporization of a
liquid, that takes place when a liquid reaches its boiling point, that is, the temperature at which
the pressure of vapor of the liquid is the same as the pressures on by the surrounding
environmental pressure (Nkuka, 2013). Another form of food preparation technique is blanching.
This is a cooking practice where food material, ordinarily a vegetable or fruit, is dipped into
boiling water, removed after a shorter period of time and finally dipped into iced water or placed
under cold running water to stop the cooking process (Pourour, 2012). Braising as another
technique of food preparation is a combination cooking method which involves using both dry
and moist heat; commonly the food is first scorched at a high temperature and then completed in

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a pot which is covered with a variable amount of liquid (Berittah, 2012). This gives rise to a
particular flavor. There are many other forms of food preparation techniques which include;
coddling, infusion, pressure cooking, simmering, poaching, steaming, double steaming, steeping,
stewing, and vacuum flask cooking among others.
The right combination of yeast with leavening agents can increase the productivity in the
baking industry by modifying the fermentation step and reducing proofing time. Proper
leavening action can improve shelf life loaf volume crumb texture and flavor. Leavening refers
to the process by which food is made to be light through aeration. It is achieved by various
leavening agents. These leavening agents include; Biological leavening agents (Viron, 2012).
The possible cause of instability of biological leavening should be clearly understood to avoid
the reduction of the product shelf life caused by unstable biological leavening. Another form of
leavening agent is a chemical leavening agent; chemical leavening agents like baking soda,
baking powder and monocalcium phosphate experiences premature release and pre-reaction with
other ingredients. The reason for this needs to be studied for the problem to be corrected
(Donella, 2010).
Experiment two
Another form of the chemical leavening agent is slow release agent; how the use of
encapsulation to create slow release leavening agents offers control over leavening action in a
variety of refrigerated and frozen dough product is leavened. This method prevents premature
leavening; results in less dough waste and creates finished goods with better texture and longer
shelf life (Hoourond, 2011).

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These agents may include air which helps in egg whites, beating creaming and rubbing
in. There is also steam which is used in profiteroles, choux pastry, and Yorkshire pudding. There
is also carbon dioxide which is used in the fermentation of yeast, baking powder, and self-raising
floor. The major raising agent in food is chemical raising agent and may include soda
bicarbonate, baking powder among others. There are different chemical raising agents (Naomi,
2011). The most popular raising agents are discussed below;
The first chemical raising agent is sodium bicarbonate; sodium bicarbonate also is known
as bicarbonate of soda or simply sodium carbonate is a chemical alkaline or basic raising agent
used in soda, bread, and gingerbread (Ochiboh, 2012). It yields more carbon (IV) oxide gas when
it is combined with an acidic food such as cream of tartar, butter milk or sour milk. If it is not
mixed with an acid then-then the food will have a soapy taste. It is thus advisable to mix the
sodium bicarbonate with an acid to prevent soapy taste in food. Another chemical raising agent is
the cream of tartar; cream of tartar also known as potassium tartrate acid is variegated with
bicarbonate of soda to give an acidic constituent for baking powder (wright, 2012). This acidic
constituent may be put to make the beaten white egg stable and surges their volume and is also
added to beaten cream. Baking powder is another form of chemical raising agent. It is made from
the alkaline bicarbonate of soda and acidic cream of tartar. Properties of baking powder; when a
liquid is put to the baking powder, the bubbles of carbon (IV) oxide gas are formed which pushes
up the bread, muffin. Baking powder is mixed with a drying agent to prevent it from responding
in the pack before the need arises.

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Experiment three
An experiment can be carried out to investigate the role of chemical raising agent. The
range of chemical raising agent may include baking powder, bicarbonate of soda or yeast. This
experiment can be carried out using the apparatus such as test tubes, a pair of tongs, Bunsen
burner, balloons, and teaspoons. The procedure is as follows; one teaspoon of the raising agent is
put into the test tube, the balloon is a half filled with water and then put onto the test tube. It is
important to note that the balloon is on the test tube immediately the water is added. Observation
is made to the balloon and what happens to it is recorded. The balloon is then warmed gently and
what happens to a balloon when it is warmed is recorded. It is then left to one side. What
happens to the balloon is recorded after 5 minutes and also after 20 minutes. The main factors to
be considered and therefore to be investigated in this case may be; how does the air get its way
into the food, what maintains the amount of air inside the food and what may happen to the food
in the absence of air, that is, if it did not contain air (Turnamill, 2013).
Conclusion
I summary, chemical raising agents are always added to the food during the preparation
of food. These agents can either be acid, base (alkali) or other mixtures, they basically help in
increasing the size of the food being cooked hence the name raising agents. They are normally
employed in cakes and eggs to help increase the size of the mentioned foods. Basically, these
agents are added in the process of cooking so that when the food (cakes) are being made they
swell to the desired size, the amount of the agent employed will depend on the amount of food
being prepared.

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References
Aghitat, F. (2012). Power of the chemical raising agents . Hull: CRC press.
Berittah, J. (2012). preparation of upsurged foods : Using chamical raising agents . Hull: Adventure press.
Donella, D. (2010). Cooking with chemical raising agents . Chicago: Adventure works .
Hoourond, L. (2011). Chemical raising agents : importance of raising agents in cooking . Hull: Springer.
Keen, J. (2010). Agents used in cakes . Chicago: Newness.
Naomi, S. (2011). Using raising Chemical agents . Manchester : Springer.
Nkuka, B. (2013). Raising agents . Stoke : Springer .
Ochiboh, S. (2012). Chemicals employed as Raising agents . Tokyo : Adventure presss.
Pourour, B. D. (2012). Using chemical agents in Cakes . Paris: French publishers .
Turnamill, w. (2013). Chemical raising agents : Tartar in Upsurging cakes . Hull: CRC.
Viron, E. (2012). cooking with harmless chemicals . Stoke: Newness.
wright, K. (2012). Methods of increasing the size of cakes . Chicago: Newness.