Baking & Snack - December 2015 - 58

WHOLE GRAINS

The news at Mennel is heat-treated whole wheat flours,
hard and soft, that feature better dough rheology and baking performance. "The heat treatment is applied to the
bran and germ before it is recombined with the other mill
streams that form whole wheat flour," Dr. Lin said. The
process also gets rid of unwanted enzyme activity by deactivating the lipase naturally present.

Where is untapped potential?

Seeds top a country-style loaf and reinforce the natural
association between whole grains and seeds.
King Arthur Flour

Recent trends find whole grains moving into new categories. With snacks becoming meals, as many recent
surveys note, snacking is a category ripe for whole grains,
according to Ms. Cochran.
The snack door opened because of changes in whole
grain ingredients. Taste and texture, no surprise, lead the
way. "Mouthfeel in cookies and crackers is more forgiving
than in cakes or breads," Ms. Carter observed.
Inroads are also being made in the school foodservice
venue, which faces federal mandates to offer whole-grainrich foods containing at least 51% whole grain flour. "Often
white whole wheat is being used in these programs," said
Reuben McLean, director, wheat quality and food safety,
Grain Craft, Chattanooga, TN.
Milled from hard white winter wheat (HWW), these
flours are characterized as sweeter and milder in taste than
those made from hard red winter wheat because white
wheat does not contain as many tannins as red wheat. He
expected new varieties of HWW to produce even better
performing products.
"In theory, some white whole wheat products may require less sugar in the formulation as compared to red
whole wheat products," he added.
While most conventional whole wheat flour is milled
from hard winter varieties, interest in soft wheat whole
grain flour is perking up. Described by Chunjian (CJ) Lin,
PhD, vice-president, R&D and QA, The Mennel Milling
Co., Fostoria, OH, this style is still relatively small in overall
demand but growing.
"This trend is driven by the consumer," Dr. Lin said.
"While conventional white flour is still the largest usage
category for baked foods, we are finding demand for whole
grain styles rising."

58 Baking & Snack December 2015 / www.bakingandsnack.com

Ancient grains, added to the mix about a decade ago, still
have plenty of untried uses. Changing consumer demographics play a big part. "Based on survey work we conducted in the spring with artisan bakers, we have seen increased usage of spelt, millet and rye in whole grain flour
formats," said Colleen Zammer, director of product marketing, Bay State Milling, Quincy, MA. Attention is also going to sprouted grains and seeds, with applications including commercial baking. "Reasoning for these changes includes a changing consumer demographic with more ethnic populations as well as the millennial generation seeking
unique flavors and textures as well as increased nutrition."
Perceived nutritional aspects can be significant, according to Todd Giesfeldt, mill R&D senior manager, Didion
Milling, Johnson Creek, WI. Ancient grains generally offer
high protein, fiber and minerals such as the high calcium
level found in teff. "These attributes are not necessarily better than modern whole grains like wheat, and the benefits
can be diluted out if mixed with modern whole grain," he
said. "Still consumers can find products with these ancient
grains mixed with more modern, and conventional, whole
grains, appealing from a health point of view."
Barley, corn, rye and sorghum represent opportunities. High-fiber whole grain barley provides an identitypreserved source low in starch and high in soluble dietary
fiber. "It has three times the fiber of oats and corn flour and
10 times the fiber of brown rice," Mr. Sanders said.
Like oats, barley's soluble fiber offers a nutritional
advantage, one that enables a heart-health claim. Tim
Aschbrenner, director of flour quality, Grain Craft, explained, "Barley and oat grains contain high levels of soluble beta-glucan, which can lower cholesterol reabsorption
in the gut leading to healthier blood cholesterol levels and
lowering the risk of heart disease. New research is being
done to increase this property in wheat."
Whole grain corn is seeing more use. Mr. Gennrich
described sensory work done by Cargill testing school
foodservice products made with up to 51% whole grains
and including some corn flour. "The students did have
some preference for those made with corn flour," he said.
Rye is high on the list of whole grains with untapped
potential. "It has a unique flavor unto itself and is packed
with fiber and other micronutrients that consumers are
falling short of," Ms. Zammer said. Rye's image as an old-

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