Going With the Grain - Part Two
By Elaine Knehr, Associate Editor
Click here to read Going With the Grain - Part One.
Better with Barley
In an Instant
A Point of Difference
Barley might not be widely used in snacks, but it has the potential to improve snack food appearance, as well as add texture and contribute to nutritional quality.
Barley is processed by a method called "pearling." The abrasive process "polishes" the kernel, removing the hull. The degree of pearl will affect the color, total fiber and soluble fiber. It also influences the cook time and size of whole kernels.
"Barley flakes add flavor and texture, and contribute to the appearance of a trail mix snack," Bonner says. "Flaked, pearled barley is white. It can form an interesting cluster with oat, wheat and crisped oats or rice."
Barley flour has application in multi-grain products, and is sometimes used as a means to include another grain on the label. The American Institute of Baking reports that a reasonable amount of expansion is obtained when barley starch is used in an extruded snack. Depending on the amount of pearling the kernel has received, barley flour contains up to 19% TDF.
Prowashonupana is a new barley variety that delivers high levels of beta-glucan and soluble fiber. It goes under the brand name, SustagrainTM. "Sustagrain contains about 35% total dietary fiber and 15% beta-glucan," Bonner says. "This compares with 18% TDF and 8% beta-glucan in a typical food barley. Oats contain approximately 10% TDF and 5% beta-glucan."
Prowashonupana is a waxy, hull-free barley. The whole kernel is processed into flakes, whole meal or ground into flour. The grain typically contains 4.5% naturally occurring sugars, which can impart a sweet, malty note to products. Typical fat level is 5%, compared to 7% to 9% in oats and 1.5% to 2% in degermed cornmeal.
"While the fat content of Sustagrain can suppress expansion of an extruded snack, the product can be formulated to minimize this effect," Bonner advises. When a test product was run using equal amounts of Sustagrain, rice flour and low-fat oat flour, full expansion of the snack occurred.
Malt made from barley contributes color and flavor to snacks and functions as a processing aid. Typical usage levels range from 1% to 3%.
Malting is the process of sprouting the barley kernel to activate enzyme activity. During germination, the kernels develop rootlets. As these grow, enzymes are produced that begin to modify the starch into various sugars, including maltose. After germination, the malt is carefully dried to produce the desired end product. The drying temperature and time affects the level of enzyme activity. Non-diastatic malts are enzymatically inactive; diastatic malts have varying levels of enzyme activity. The enzyme activity level is identified by the Lintner scale. A 20°Lintner malt has low activity, 60° Lintner has a higher level.
"Diastatic malts are commonly used in the baking industry," Hickenbottom says. "The enzymes help modify the wheat gluten, making the dough easier to machine. Saltines use diastatic malt at about 1.5% flour weight basis. It helps the crackers to remain flat during production." Malted barley can be combined with other grains, like corn and wheat. The enzymes in the barley hydrolyze the starches in the other grains. "By definition, malt must be made from barley to be labeled 'malt,' " Hickenbottom explains. "When combined with another grain, the ingredient would be labeled 'malt and corn,' 'malted cereal syrup' or 'wheat/malt.' "
Malted cereal syrup is commonly made by mashing together malt and corn grits. The resulting product is sweeter and less expensive than malt extract, while still providing good flavor and color. "A 20o Lintner malted cereal syrup works well in pretzels," Hickenbottom says. "It gives more crust color and imparts a malty, cereal-like flavor."
Malt products are available in liquid and dry forms. The ingredients add color and sweetness, and contribute a characteristic malt flavor to snacks.
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Instantized grains are used in snacks to provide texture, enhance flavor profile and function as a processing aid. Several varieties and forms are available. Grains include wheat, rye, barley, corn, oat groat, rice, triticale and beans. Different forms meet any need: whole kernel, bumped, flake, cracked, grits, flour and kibbled.
Grains are instantized by exposing the kernel to infra red heat, as well as radiant heat. The rapid internal heating of the tempered grain generates inner steam. This expands the kernel structure and molecularly disrupts the granular structure of the starch. The starch gelatinizes, making a ready-to-eat grain. "The level of gelatinization can be controlled," says Susanne Stoeger-Moore, director, food sales, Briess Industries Inc., Chilton, WI. "Products range from 100% pregelatinization to about 25% partial gelatinization. The snack industry generally does not use a 100% starch-damaged product. This allows for additional cooking during processing, such as in an extruder."
Once the grain is instantized, the kernels are ground into various forms. "Most snack operations use flour or grits," Stoeger-Moore says. "Grits are made by cracking the kernels and then continually separating the pieces into uniform sizes. Granulation is specified by the customer. Most formulations use 25% or less of an instantized grain."
Products made with instantized grains tend to have a tender bite and mellow flavor. Since the grains have been cooked, they don't impart raw, grainy notes. Whole-grain kernels have an easier bite when instantized, allowing them to be added to a product without pre-cooking. "Tortilla chips have been made with 12% to 15% instantized whole kernel corn and degermed grits," Stoeger-Moore says.
Instantized grains improve the uniformity of the dough going through an extruder or sheeting operation. "Less cripples are formed and the end products have a more uniform shape," Stoeger-Moore explains. "Raw grains tend to have a lot of variation. Instantizing produces a more uniform grain. Processing equipment requires less fine-tuning and 'tweaking' when instantized grains are included in the formulation. Snacks made with instantized products absorb less fat when fried."
Instantizing does not change the nutritional quality of a grain, and vitamins and other nutrients remain intact.
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Other grains and vegetable-type ingredients give an imaginative twist to snack foods. Options to diversify grain usage in snack foods include: amaranth, rye, triticale, sorghum, millet and wild rice. Some products are readily available; others are under evaluation.
Rye. This popular grain comes in white, medium and dark forms, depending on the amount of bran removed during milling. Rye is used as a portion of the total flour in typical baked-good doughs because rye doesn't form gluten. A 100% rye flour bread has a dense, chewy texture. Rye flake or meal is sometimes added to wafers or crackers.
Triticale. Triticale is a hybrid, resulting from the cross of wheat and rye, that has a sweet, nutty flavor. It comes in several forms including whole berry, flakes and flour. The protein has a higher lysine content than wheat, increasing triticale's nutritional value. It also has high levels of thiamin, riboflavin and folate. The mixing and baking characteristics of triticale flour are more similar to rye than wheat because of the lack of gluten, which has limited its use in the baking industry.
Sunflower kernels. Sunflower kernels add a pleasant taste and nutty texture to snacks. Kernels are available raw, dry-roasted and oil-roasted. The small size of the kernels makes them ready to use, eliminating the need for chopping.
"Raw kernels have a more natural taste and are often used in trail mixes," says Ruth Isaak, marketing director, National Sunflower Association, Bismark, ND. "Sunflower-kernel chips might be mixed into a dough. There is some interest in using small whole kernels or kernel slices in tortillas."
Sunflower kernels provide nutrition: A 1 oz. serving of sunflower kernels provides more than one-third of the daily reference value for vitamin E. The kernels also are rich in selenium, folate and fiber.
Flaxseed. Flaxseed is typically available as whole flaxseed or milled flaxseed. It contains 17% to 22% protein, 23% dietary fiber, and 40% to 45% fat. More than 55% of the total fatty acids is comprised of linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. The Flax Council of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, reports that research indicates that flax may aid in preventing cancer and heart disease.
"Although flaxseed is gaining more and more use in the wholesale baking industry, most of the work with flaxseed in snack foods is experimental," says Thomas Payne, marketing consultant, Thomas J. Payne Market Development, Burlingame, CA. "Whole flaxseed is used as a garnish on top of a cracker, like a sesame seed. Some processors are looking at incorporating the whole seed in a dough. Milled flaxseed has been tried in tortilla and corn chips. Extruded products have been made with up to 19% milled flaxseed. Flax gives an interesting, nutty flavor to a snack. Milled flaxseed contains bits of the outer husk, which gives a multi-grain appearance to a product."
A high level of unsaturated fatty acids means that flaxseed oil can be prone to oxidation. However, stability is an issue only when flaxseed is milled, according to Payne. "Typically manufacturers mill flaxseed and integrate them directly into a product. But now there are several methods of milling being experimented with that show no shelf-life problems after milling," he says.
Spelt. This member of the wheat family has some usage, particularly in specialty products. Stoeger-Moore points out one advantage for the health-food market: "Spelt does not contain the gluten that causes some people to have an allergic reaction to wheat."
Other possibilities. Other instantized ingredients also have potential use in snacks. Some being worked with are not strictly grains, but they serve some of the same functions: flavor, nutrition and an enhanced appearance. "Pre-cooked pinto and black beans can be mixed with corn for a distinctive corn chip," Stoeger-Moore says. "Bean flavor and visual particulates are apparent in a snack using 1% to 2% of a cracked or grit product."
Vegetables can further the healthy perception grains give to snacks. "We have experimented with extruding products made with green pea flour and dried carrot powder," Sevatson states. "It was possible to use 100% pea flour. The expanded pea curl had a green color and good flavor. Dried carrot powder was used at a 15% to 20% level. The high sugar content caused too much browning at greater levels." Whether vegetables are employed or not, grain ingredients provide a field of opportunity to develop snack foods with the taste and nutrition consumers demand. Food product designers will only reap the benefits when they realize the possibilities grains offer.
Free-lance technical writer Elaine Knehr holds a bachelor's degree in food technology and a master's degree in business. Her 10 years of experience in product development covers a wide range of food products.
• Photo: ConAgra Oat Processing Co.
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