BAKERY, CEREAL & GRAINS
Enhanced wholegrains: nature’s best superfood
W
With
consumers
becoming
increasingly health conscious, the demand for cereal and bread products with wholegrains will continue to increase - placing pressure on food manufacturers to incorporate new superfoods in their products to keep up with consumer demands. 20
July/August 2014
holegrains have long been associated with improved health and vitality. Naturally rich in fibre, wholegrains can lower the risk of developing colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. They provide important sources of many nutrients, including dietary fibre, several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate) and minerals (iron, magnesium and selenium). Humans have been eating wholegrains for thousands of years, and prior to advances in food processing, grains came straight from the stalk - including the fibre-rich coating of the outer layer of bran surrounding a starchy endosperm and a small reproductive kernel known as the germ. As civilisation developed and food processing techniques advanced, refining wholegrains provided a way to make wholegrains tastier and prolong their shelf life. The downside of this is that by removing the bran and germ and only eating the endosperm portion of the grain, the B and E vitamins, fibre, minerals and phytochemicals contained in the bran and germ are stripped away, leaving only the carbohydrates and protein from the endosperm for consumption. According to Robert Burbury, CEO at BARLEYmax the healthy grain, “A growing body of research shows that returning to wholegrains and cutting back on refined grains improves health in a number of ways.� In spite of the many health benefits of wholegrains, the majority of Australians are not including the recommended amount of wholegrains in their diet. A recent study by the Australian Grains and Legumes Nutrition Council shows that at least 75% of Australians are not
www.foodprocessing.com.au