PROJECT RESULTS

White Wheat Flours for the Canadian Bakery Industry

Applicant: 

Dr. Odean M. Lukow
Cereal Research Centre

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Winnipeg, Manitoba  R3T 2M9  Canada

Table of Contents:

• Background and Objective
• Procedure and Project Activities
• Results and Discussion
• Conclusions

ARDI Project:

#98-061

Total Approved:

Date Approved:

Project Status:

Completed February, 2000

Background and Objective:

The development of hard white spring wheat at the Cereal Research Centre (CRC) of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Winnipeg, provides a new diversification opportunity for significant production of white bread wheat in western Canada. One advantage of hard white wheat is a perceived milling yield increase over red wheat, which translates into increased revenue for the miller. Another advantage is the ability to provide white wheat bread products with a lighter colored product and a milder taste. Particularly for children where the lighter color and taste have a definite appeal, this may be an effective way to increase dietary fiber. New, value-added products made from whole meal white wheat may include: pan breads, bagels, tortillas and pita breads. Consumer interest in North America in a healthier diet coincides with the introduction and implementation of hard white wheat into widely available baked products. If commercial bakeries were to develop new baked products using white whole meal, we would predict increased consumption of baked products, increased production demand and an economic growth in the baking industry. In terms of the export market, hard white wheat will become the preferred bread wheat.

The objective of this project was to analyze hard white wheats developed at CRC in a variety of end-product applications and to gain an understanding of the unique quality advantages of white wheat and its potential role in Canadian domestic and export markets.

Procedure and Project Activities:

Red and white experimental wheat lines were milled at CRC into 78, 80, 82% flour extractions and whole meal. A wide range of chemical, rheological and baking analyses were performed on the samples. Emphasis was placed on milling properties, fiber content, dough mixing properties and sensory evaluation for flavor and color. Red and white flours were compared to ascertain their functional differences.

Small-scale test baking procedures for pan breads, bagels, tortillas and pita breads were developed and refined. The limited flour samples available for analyses required test procedures for 35-100g flour. Optimization of processing parameters for the various end products was carried out.

Sensory evaluation was performed by panelists on wafers containing either red or white flour from different extractions to determine if there were differences in flavor. A sensory panel was also used to visually compare the lightness of flour from extractions ranging from 78 to 90% from wheats grown at multiple locations in western Canada. Sensory evaluation was performed using a constant red wheat reference. The degree of lightness was compared visually and instrumentally, the latter with a Kent-Jones color grader, Agtron and a Minolta chroma meter.

Results and Discussion:

A significant milling advantage of 2-4% was identified for white wheat based on cumulative color curves that track changes in flour color with increasing flour extraction. Fiber content of the flours increased with increasing flour extraction for both white and red wheat. At equivalent flour color at high flour extractions, white wheat flour contained more fiber (bran) than flour derived from red wheat. Increasing fiber, i.e. bran content, increased flour water absorption and decreased loaf volume. Breadcrumb increased in firmness with increasing bran content for both red and white wheats at a similar rate. White wheat performed as well as red wheat in pan bread applications and had an added advantage of a lighter colored bread.

No flavor differences were identified in sensory panels when white wheat wafers were compared to those made from red wheat. Further research will be carried out on advanced white wheat lines to confirm these results. Sensory evaluation identified flours containing white bran were lighter visually with 2-4% more bran than flours containing red bran. The western Canadian location at which samples were grown had a significant effect on flour color. These results confirmed that flours with added white bran have a color advantage over flours with added red bran, with the advantage becoming more pronounced as the bran levels increase.

A lab-scale procedure for the production of tortillas using 50g flour enabled the color comparison of the red and white wheats for tortillas. The lighter color of the white whole-wheat tortillas is a significant advantage for this product. Further research will determine color and texture parameters of tortilla quality.

Conclusions:

At a time when it is imperative that western farmers consider new value-added commodities to remain competitive globally, hard white spring wheat provides a new diversification opportunity. There is a growing expectation that Canada will be able to increase market share in Asia with hard white wheat. The creation of a new wheat class to accommodate this wheat will ensure that integrity is maintained. The significant milling advantage of white wheat is relevant to both the domestic and export markets whether the flour is intended for bread or for oriental noodles.

In this project with ARDI, we examined mainly the suitability of white wheat in baked products.

Generally, we found that white wheat can be used in all traditional bread baking applications and more. Our study indicated that the relatively light color of flour and baked bread from white wheat could be easily identified instrumentally and by sensory panels. Marketing of high fiber bread that has a relatively light color may be an effective way to encourage the incorporation of more fiber into the North American diet, particularly for children who prefer light colored bread. The Canadian baking industry could experience increased production demand and an economic growth as consumers' interest in a healthier diet increases as the population ages. In our study, white wheat also performed well in specialty products such as tortillas. Further research is required to identify specific advantages of white wheat in different end products.

Acknowledgements:

This project was funded by the Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative and Weston Bakeries Ltd.

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