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Food manufacture

Grain processing and manufacture

In the core strand, Food manufacture, you will learn to describe processes that transform raw materials into manufactured food products. The Go Grains: Grains nutrition web site is a useful source of information about grain processing and manufacture. This tutorial provides an opportunity to examine manufacturing and processing technologies used in the production of grain- and pulse-based food products.

Outcomes

This material addresses aspects of the following syllabus outcome:

Extract from Stage 6 Food Technology Syllabus © Board of Studies NSW 1999.

Processing grains and pulses

Grains are the seeds of cereal plants and pulses are the edible seeds of leguminous plants such as peas, beans and lentils. There are a number of factors that determine the quality of grains and pulses for human consumption. Let's take a look at the factors that determine wheat quality and rice quality . (Select Grain quality for human consumption button).

Grains and pulses need to be processed before they can be consumed.

Activity 1

1. Why are grains processed ?
   
   
2. The main principle of grain processing is the separation of the components of the grain, except where the whole grain is used. To appreciate the nutritional value of wholegrains and the impact of processing you should be aware of the nutrient content of each component.
   
   What is the nutrient content of a) the bran, b) the endosperm, c) the aleurone and d) the germ?
   
   
3. Take a look at the variety of grains processing systems . Read the information about flour milling. What is meant by extraction rate ? (Select Nutritional implications of flour milling button).

Answers

Nutritional implications of flour milling

Milling affects the nutritional value of grains in two ways:

1. The physical separation of the different grain components has the greatest impact on the nutrient content of the grain.
2. Grinding reduces the particle size which impacts on the glycaemic index and resistant starch content of grains.

In wheat milling, the bran, aleurone and germ components are separated from the endosperm which is ground into flour.

Since dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and antinutrients (phytic acid and phenolic acid) are concentrated in the outer bran and aleurone layers of the grain, the extent to which these layers are removed determines the nutrient content of the flour. Extract from Grains Research and Development Centre, Nutrition recommendations, viewed 10.12.2002, <http://gograins.com.au/grainsnutrition/ns/7frame.html>

Activity 2

1. Referring to the graph which illustrates the impact of extraction rate on nutrient content (Nutritional implications of flour milling page ), compare the vitamin retention rate for wholemeal flour (100% extraction rate) and white flour (78% extraction rate) for a) vitamin E, b) riboflavin, and c) folic acid.
   
   
2. What is the impact of flour milling on the bioavailability of nutrients?

Answers

Innovation in grain processing technology: Nature's Gold™VitaGold® (Goodman Fielder)

Activity 3

Explain why Nature's Gold™ was developed and how the nutritional profile of the resulting bread, VitaGold®, was better than traditional wholemeal bread.

Answer