Canadian Researchers Building Better Barley

At the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, barley may become a key ingredient of the breakfast of champions.

Barley is a dietary powerhouse. It is naturally low in starch and fat and very high in fibre. There is ample evidence that eating fibre promotes overall health of the gastrointestinal and immune systems. Barley has high levels of a special soluble fibre called beta-glucan. Clinical trials have shown beta-glucan to lower cholesterol and help control blood sugar. These properties can reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

New applications for its use include tortillas, one of the staples of Mexican cuisine.  Rolled into soft burritos, fried as tacos, layered as enchiladas or served up as chips and shells, tortillas are part of the basic diet throughout Central America.

This flatbread, originally made from corn, dates back to the Mayans. Spanish missionaries would later introduce tortillas into California. Today they have gained popularity across the United States and Canada, with new markets opening up around the world.

Tortillas are now not only made from corn meal but also from wheat flour. And thanks to the ingenuity of Canadian researchers, the tortilla industry may be turning to a new ingredient with improved nutritional benefits – barley.

Dr. Nancy Ames, a scientist with the Cereal Research Centre of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is part of a team of AAFC researchers looking to develop and evaluate new food products from whole grain barley and oats. Currently, Dr. Ames is furthering her research on validating the nutritional benefits of barley while on a work transfer at the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals in Winnipeg.

 “We created the barley tortilla at the Cereal Research Centre to utilize the unique functional and nutritional characteristics of specific barley varieties developed for the Canadian Prairies,” explains Dr. Ames. “Plant breeders in western Canada have produced some really unique barley varieties with respect to their fibre and starch properties. These same properties lend themselves to making a soft, rollable tortilla with good taste and colour.”

The tortilla Dr. Ames developed is made from whole grain. “Our product is 100% whole grain barley plus water, and nothing else,” she says. “Using whole grain means keeping all the goodness of the grain. With the bran and germ layer intact, the high levels of antioxidants, Vitamin E and Vitamin B found in barley are maintained.”

In addition to all the health benefits, the composition of the barley variety Dr. Ames used in this product helps improve shelf life, stability in the freezer and rollability of the dough. “The flavour and colour of our barley tortilla are different from corn or wheat tortillas,” adds Dr. Ames, “but ‘variety is the spice of life’ as they say.” So far the information coming from taste-test panels is favourable, attesting to consumer acceptance of this healthier alternative.

Dr. Ames is now involved in a clinical trial to assess the glycemic response to the new barley tortilla and determine its potential health benefits. Blood samples are being collected from volunteers before and after they consume the tortillas and will be analyzed for glucose and insulin.

“Elevated glucose and insulin levels are one of the primary indicators for type-2 diabetes and insulin resistance is associated with things like obesity and hypertension,” says Dr. Ames. “So when we can add a low glycemic response or low glycemic index type food  to our diet, it could help us manage insulin resistance.”

The clinical trial is part of compiling evidence of nutritional benefits, which must be carefully documented before Health Canada will allow any beneficial health claims to be made for the product. In the meantime, Dr. Ames is confident about the future of whole grain products as sensible food choices for consumers. Adding new value to healthy Canadian grains will create new opportunities for growers and processors. Tapping into the tortilla industry with barley tortillas and barley tortilla chips has the potential to generate significant new revenues for the Canadian agri-food industry, not to mention a healthy and tasty snack.