The International Grains Council (IGC) and Rabobank Group, a
specialist in food and agribusiness banking, forecast that the
prospect of a record world wheat harvest in 2008/09 could help to
reduce wheat prices on global markets.
NutraCea is expecting to see its first sales of stabilised rice
bran in Central and Eastern Europe following this week's FiCEE
trade show, where the ingredient has been warmly received for its
potential to reduce manufacturers'...
Global food manufacturer General Mills last week said its US Rice
Chex cereal will from now on be gluten-free, as part of the firm's
plans to target the ever expanding free-from market.
Rice flour that has been pin-milled appears to make bread with a
better texture than when common commercially-produced rice flour is
used, say US researchers.
Using stabilised rice bran (SRB) in battered and fried products in
place of wheat flour cuts fat, calories, sodium content and cost,
according to new research.
Raisio has revealed that it is considering shutting down its grain
mill in Nokia, Finland, to raise profitability in the face of
changing market conditions.
Irish mineral specialist Marigot's Aquamin complex appears to have
benefits beyond enhancing the mineral content of certain specialist
bakery products: it has also been seen to improve the texture of
gluten-free bread.
Researchers have created a new strain of wheat with an inbuilt
resistance to devastating scab blight which infects wheat heads -
reducing crop yields as well as market value and quality.
The field performance of fungicides used to prevent the spread of
foliar disease in wheat has decreased significantly within the last
decade, according to UK cereal association, the Home Grown Cereals
Authority (HGCA).
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has launched a range of functional
wheat protein isolates designed to enhance the taste, texture and
appearance of cereal products.
Scientists in the US have found that a flour made from rice and
sweet potatoes is a "superior substitute" to wheat in
pancakes, suggesting a possible alternative for products targeting
celiac sufferers.
Scientists have developed a new variety of gluten-free bread
suitable for consumers suffering from coeliac disease and boasting
a longer shelf-life, increased nutritional value and better texture
than products already available.
US scientists have cloned a gene present in wheat and barley in
research which opens up the potential for cultivating the crops in
a wider range of climates, thereby increasing production and
supply.
US scientists have identified a gene from wild wheat that could
increase protein and micronutrient content of its cultivated cousin
by 10 to 15 per cent, and could soon be used in food products with
enhanced nutritional value.
A genetically modified wheat variety that has significantly more
resistant starch than regular wheat could reach the market in five
years, say Australian scientists who have won financial backing to
commercialise the crop.
Canadian cereal company Nature's Path is attempting to make inroads
into the UK's growing organic market with the launch of a new range
of ready to eat organic oat cereals.
UK Bakers are set to benefit from efficient wheat producers who,
despite lower plantings, have recorded increased yields this year,
according to the National Farmers' Union (NFU).
British farmers and bakery firms can breathe a sigh of relief as
the risk of crop contamination from mycotoxins is low this year,
according to an industry organisation.
Russian traders are buying stocks of wheat at well above export
prices in a bid to capitalise on a potential surge in prices,
following a difficult summer for European grain production.
The UK's Home Grown Cereals Association (HGCA) have announced that
cereal plantings in Great Britain have grown, in a report that
spells good news for UK bread wheat exporters.
While the EU Commission prepares to release new legal limits on the
levels of fusarium mycotoxins in unprocessed cereals, breakfast
cereals and bread next month, several UK organisations are trying
to educate farmers on how to minimize...
A new credit-card sized gluten testing kit that can be used on site
claims to provide food firms with a quick and cheap way to test for
both low and high levels of the allergen in their products.
Leading agribusiness Syngenta could be set to introduce the world's
first genetically modified wheat seed by early next decade, a move
fully supported by American wheat industry organizations.
National Starch Food Innovation has introduced a range of natural,
grain-based ingredients, which it claims maintain the positive
attributes of traditional flours while expanding and improving the
ways they can be used in packaged...
The forecast near record wheat production this year is being
outstripped by unprecedented consumption levels, leaving export
markets tight, according to the latest outlook report from the US
Department ofAgriculture (USDA).
With the head of Europe's largest wheat mill under arrest, pasta
makers are checking their supplies to see whether any came from a
stock found to be contaminated with a cancer-causing toxin.
Wheat breeders in recent years have been increasingly working on
the development of waxy wheat varieties. Yet the commodity has not
yet hit the mainstream market as no one seems to know what to do
with it. FoodNavigator-USA speaks...
Estimates for world durum wheat and corn output are down sharply
from last year's record harvests, indicating processors might face
a price hike for the commodities depending on the demand.
The production of gluten-free products could be the way for craft
bakeries to increase sales, which are suffering in the face of
lower priced mass-produced goods from industrial bakeries,
according to German company Hanneforth Food...
A new, simplified wheat classification system designed to help the
UK compete directly with other global wheat suppliers is bringing
in results, with a breakthrough agreement that could see
substantial quantities of UK grain shipped...
Job losses at the sweetener operations of ambitious ingredients
firm Cargill are imminent as the largest private firm in the US
appears to feel the squeeze of "market conditions".
Two major US bakeries are today adding white wholegrain bread to
their product ranges, targeting consumers who want the taste they
like while receiving the nutrition they need, reports Lorraine
Heller.
A new laboratory designed to improve the quality of barley and oats
could have major implications for makers of breakfast cereals,
beverages and bakery goods.
The area sown to wheat and barley over the last season in the UK
has decreased, said the HGCA last week, yet there is no apparent
cause for concern as good yields may still produce a strong crop,
reports Lorraine Heller.
Dutch retailer Albert Heijn is launching a bread carrying a
cholesterol-lowering health claim based on its oat beta-glucan
content, writes Dominique Patton.
Consumer demand for gluten-free products continues to surge,
presenting a significant opportunity for bakers targeting this
niche market, writes Lorraine Heller.
Scientists have successfully developed and tested a hybrid wheat
breed that could at least double China's present per-hectare yield,
according to the China Daily.