Going with the grain

FoodProcessing.com

Grains add special fatty acids, complex carbs and lots of nutrients.

By Frances Katz, Senior Technical Editor

A is for Amaranth, B is for Barley. Or buckwheat. Move up the alphabet through flaxseed, oats, quinoa (pronounced keen-wa), rice and wheat and food formulators have a huge batch of grains to work with … and to get familiar with.

The low-carb trend has distracted food processors from the use of complex carbs and multi-grains, but there’s room for common ground. Some of these grains offer a variety of oils, fiber and phytochemicals, as well as complex carbs.

The importance of whole grains is shown in the Healthy People 2010 objective, the 1999 USDA outline for several nutrition initiatives, which calls for an increase to three servings of whole grains per person, up from about one. And there’s so much variety in flavors, texture and nutrients that increased consumption of whole grains is pleasant, not at all boring.

There other reasons for looking at whole grains in addition to nutrition policy. Some of these reasons include:

• The growth of vegetarianism, which requires vegetable crops with relatively high and complete protein levels.
  
• The need for grain sources that do not contribute gluten for sufferers of celiac disease or those who are allergic to glutens.
  
• The desire for more versatile grains for ethnic meals.
  
• The use of specific grains for nutrient content.

There is also the curiosity of Americans, who want something different. Artisan breads may have been a start, but now multigrain cereals, snack crackers, side dishes, pastas and similar products are appearing, first in health food stores, then artisanal bakeries, and now the mainstream.

Some of the so-called "minor grains" are grown in small quantities because of their agronomic utility, and are relatively off the trading radar screen. According to Food Production Daily, the world grain carryover for major grains is at 59 days of consumption, well below the 70 days considered necessary for food security. Wheat and corn are at seven-year record high prices. With a harvest coming up, an increase of 120 million tons will be required to overcome last year’s shortfall of 104 million tons plus an extra 15 million tons to feed the global increase in population. If it doesn’t happen, prices will be up for major grains, and the differential between wheat and other grains will shrink.

Minor grains including barley, rye, oats, sorghum and millet are joined with more exotic grains. Prices are harder to predict, but they are likely to be grown in larger quantities in the near future. They have agronomic possibilities, especially in hotter, drier climates. Some require less fertile soil, others will tolerate wind and salt water. In many parts of the world, these grains become a staple of diet.

Because of the emphasis on corn, soybeans and wheat as principal crops, the "minor grains" are harder to source, and may require contracting to assure a steady supply. There are agronomic efforts to improve the major crops as well, including increased emphasis on growing the best grain for a specific use, which brings us to identity preservation. In effect, a specialty corn or wheat resembles a minor grain in its marketing and development.

Specialty millers use specialty grains

Amaranth, a relative of the ubiquitous pigweed, is becoming popular crop, perhaps because it contains three times as much fiber as wheat, and five times the iron. It has double the amount of calcium as milk, and is rich in lysine, an amino acid that is usually lacking in grains. It has a digestibility of about 90 percent when cooked.

Photo courtesy of Nu World Amaranth Inc.

Amaranth is offered as a pre-gel or puffed grain portion, flour and toasted flour, separated starch and as rolled flakes that look much like rolled oats. Amaranth oil is also available.

Amaranth can be used in baked foods, beverages, energy bars and supplements, notes Larry Walters, a food scientist and president of Nu World Amaranth Inc. (www.nuworldamaranth.com), Naperville, Ill., which grows, processes and uses the grain. The company has introduced a number of cereals: one is extruded and shaped like little O’s and another version includes strawberry. Nu World also produces baking mixes. The first of the products appeared on supermarket shelves in 2002.

Barley, like oats, is high in beta-glucans, the soluble fiber that has gained a nutritional claim for helping to reduce heart disease. Barley is offered in pearl barley, which can be cooked alone as a vegetable or side dish, or a variety of grain fractions, including barley flour, high-fiber barley and extruded barley products.

Photo courtesy of Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods Inc.

Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods Inc., (www.bobsredmill.com), Milwaukie, Ore., sells barley flour and pearl barley, and includes it in some bakery mixes. Bob’s also has introduced a 50-product line of gluten-free products, which eschew the gluten-continuing grains (wheat, triticale, rye, and barley, as well as oats) in favor of rice flour, various bean flours, sorghum, buckwheat, millet, quinoa and teff.