Publication:

Ancient wheats

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    Authors & editors

    Publisher Milling & Grain
    Year of publication 2020 April
    Languages

    Medium Digital
    Edition1
    Topics

    Cereal processes

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    Scope & contentSome experiences from the project ALTERBAKE: Technological challenges in the processing of ancient wheats.

    By Melissa Camerlink, University College Ghent, Department of Bio- and Food Sciences, Belgium.

    Ancient grains are gaining renewed interest because of the increasing demand in organic, traditional or artisanal food products. They are considered highly adaptable species and there is a strong demand to preserve genetic diversity in the field. Moreover, some ancient grains are being characterised by interesting nutritional properties.

    Ancient wheats are for example einkorn, emmer, khorasan and spelt. These ancient wheat plants can grow very high (>1 metre), which makes them very susceptible to lodging so yields can be very low compared to modern bread wheat varieties. Ancient wheats are suitable for organic farming since they are considered low input crops.

    Despite the many challenges, there is a great potential for these ancient wheats since consumers show a clear interest in these products. A survey, conducted with 300 consumers, showed that one third of the respondents is willing to pay 50 percent extra for a bread with ancient grains... Read more.

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