Healthy Solutions for Food Barley Uses Short Course

Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration permitted barley food products to carry a health claim recognizing the positive effects of β-glucan soluble fiber, the use of barley has increased. Seven participants from Chile, Taiwan, and USA attended the Healthy Solutions for Food Barley Uses Short Course July 10-12, at NCI, to learn more about how they can use barley in their food products. This course focused on current barley health research and benefits of β-glucan and dietary fiber in food barley; basic definitions of hulled and hull-less barley; quality characteristics and functionality; how to incorporate barley into food product; and marketing trends of barley.  Participants also gained hands-on experience in barley processing, sensory evaluation, analytical testing, baking, and evaluation of baked goods.  The group toured MGI Grain Processing, East Grand Forks, Minn.