Photo credit: U.S Grains & BioProducts Council.
The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council and the Northern Crops Institute last week hosted a specialized seminar focused on the use of U.S. barley and sorghum in snack foods, bringing together food industry representatives from Malaysia and Mexico.
The three-day training program was designed to provide technical knowledge and hands-on experience for participants evaluating barley and sorghum as ingredients in baked goods and snack products. The seminar emphasized nutritional value, functional performance and opportunities to diversify product portfolios with alternative grains.
USGBC representatives participating in the event included Chris Markey, deputy regional director for Southeast Asia and Oceania, Samantha Redfern, manager of global strategies, and Javier Chávez, senior marketing specialist.
The course opened with a detailed review of U.S. barley, covering production practices, grain characteristics and health-related benefits. Participants also took part in product tastings in NCI’s instructional lab and attended sessions on sustainable barley production, global market demand and recipe demonstrations featuring food barley.
The final portion of the seminar shifted focus to U.S. sorghum, with presentations on milling methods and its applications in baking and snack food production.
The Idaho Barley Commission and the United Sorghum Checkoff Program, both members of USGBC, also presented during the seminar, outlining their work to strengthen connections between U.S. growers and international markets.
The training reflects broader efforts by USGBC and its partners to expand export opportunities for U.S. feed grains by demonstrating their versatility in value-added food products. For grain producers, growing international interest in barley and sorghum for snack foods could support additional demand channels beyond traditional feed and industrial uses.
Source: U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council, "Northern Crops Institute Training Introduces Barley, Sorghum To Malaysian, Mexican Snack Industries"