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Barley is the second-ranked cereal in Canada
with an average annual production of 11.4 million tonnes (last 5 year
average). Manitoba contributes between 12-16% of total Canadian barley
production. Barley has had three distinct end uses – human foods, alcoholic
beverages, and animal feed – but the pattern of its utilization has changed
throughout history. In recent years, about 50% of the barley produced in
Manitoba has been used for animal feed. In 2002 about 26% of Manitoba’s
barley crop was selected for malting purposes by either domestic or foreign
food and beverage industries. Malt is either exported or used by the
domestic breweries. Total malt revenues in Canada are about $350 million
annually, the majority of this generated by the export market. If Canada is
to maintain (or increase) our share of the export market it must produce
malting barley and malt with quality characteristics that will meet the
increasingly sophisticated demands of the customers.
The proposed studies aim at better understanding
the protein-related phenomena associated with beer quality. Identification
of beneficial and/or detrimental barley proteins that affect the quality of
beer will assist in formulating recommendations to barley breeders and
molecular biologists on how to improve the quality characteristics of
Canadian malting barley. Such improvements are needed if Canada wants to
compete with other barley exporters. Knowledge gained throughout these
studies will also assist in developing more accurate tests to evaluate
barley grain and to predict its end-use quality.
Dr. Marta Izydorczyk of the Grain Research
Laboratory, Canadian Grain Commission, is a co-applicant of this project.
Partnership cash funding is provided by the
Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute and in-kind funding by the
Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre and the Grain Research Laboratory.
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