1) MULTIPLE FORMS FOR FOOD USE

* Pearl barley, pot barley, barley flakes, rolled barley
* Whole grain flour, malted barley flour
* Components can be extracted (eg. beta glucan) and concentrated for specific food uses

2) NUTRITIONAL ATTRIBUTES

* Good source of protein
* Weak gluten means that some people with wheat allergies tolerate barley
* Source of B-vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin and niacin
* Low fat, 3%, which is about half of oats fat content
* Very good source of dietary fibre

High Fibre

* Has both soluble and insoluble fibre, about 4.5% and 9% respectively
* Total dietary fibre 13.5% in whole barley flour, and 9% in whole wheat flour
* More soluble fibre than oats and wheat

Health and Functional Foods

* Clinical studies in Australia, Canada, and the U.S. have reported that diets high in soluble fibre from barley are effective in lowering serum cholesterol levels in people with high levels
* Tocotrienols and tocopherols reduce the production of LDL (bad) cholesterol and are natural antioxidants. Barley contains high concentrations of tocols.
* A clinical study conducted with people with Type II diabetes showed that blood glucose levels were improved on a diet which included waxy barley flour products

3) MILLING CAPABILITIES

* All fractions have reasonable levels of fibre, which is an advantage over other grains. In oats, for example, much is concentrated in the bran
* Whole grain barley flour is light in colour
* Mills well, but differently than wheat

4) BARLEY FLOUR POTENTIAL

* Can be used in cakes, cookies, donuts, muffins, pancakes at 100% levels
* Smaller amounts can be used in yeast-raised breads, pasta
* Retail product on the market is good exposure and helps promote barley products to food processors and consumers

5) FOOD PROCESSORS CAN USE

* Its hydroscopic properties means that barley, particularly waxy barley, absorbs more water than wheat. "A major attraction of barley flour was its water-holding capacity (2.5 fold higher than that of wheat flour), making it more suitable for use as a food thickener, food binder, or ingredient in foods such as oriental noodles" - Dr. Bhatty
* Barley flour is an easy way to add fibre to a product; don’t need to add bran or other components, the whole flour could be easily substituted for current flours in product
* Some barley products could be sold at a premium to other products as a result of the nutritional advantages
* Nutritional claims help promote product
* Health benefits of barley might offer opportunities to work with other ‘heart health’ products like canola and flax

6) AMPLE SUPPLY

* Alberta is the highest barley volume province in Canada
* Several hulless and hulled varieties are available
* Three waxy varieties are registered in Canada

ALBERTA COMPANIES THAT PROCESS AND SELL BARLEY PRODUCTS