Kampffmeyer Launches Barley from the Stone Age

Light in colour, StoneAge barley flakes from KAMPFFMEYER Food Innovation GmbH are easy to process and due to their high amylopectin content, they also extend the shelf life of baked goods.

21 Jun 2010 --- Barley is one of the most valuable grain types. StoneAge barley is even healthier than other varieties, and very mild in taste. This ancient variety has a very high content of cholesterol-lowering beta glucans. Light in colour, StoneAge barley flakes from KAMPFFMEYER Food Innovation GmbH are easy to process and due to their high amylopectin content, they also extend the shelf life of baked goods.

For many years, barley has been out of favour in the bakery sector, having been pushed aside by wheat and rye varieties which were superior in taste and higher yielding. However, barley is one of the healthiest grain types. Unusually, barley has three valuable aleuron layers – all other known grain types have only one aleuron layer. As barley belongs to the spelt grain family, it is extremely well protected against hazardous environmental substances. Furthermore, barley has a much lower fat content than other grain types.

The greatest asset of the ancient StoneAge barley variety apart from its mild taste is its especially high content of beta glucans and amylopectin. Beta glucans are soluble fibres which can lower cholesterol levels significantly and thus can contribute to heart health. A draft for the EU health claim for beta glucans has already been submitted. Accordingly, bread made with StoneAge barley could be among the first baked goods in Europe to carry an EU-approved health claim.

Studies have proven that beta glucans from barley and oats lower LDL-cholesterol. Too much LDL-cholesterol in the blood is bad for the cardiovascular system, as it settles at the vascular walls and constricts them. Arteriosclerosis is the main cause of heart attacks, strokes and many other cardiovascular diseases, which cause more than 40 per cent of deaths in men and 54 per cent in women every year. (European Cardiovascular Disease Statistics 2008.)

Whilst StoneAge barley consists of 95 per cent amylopectin just as it did thousands of years ago the varieties in common use today only have an amylopectin content of about 75 per cent. StoneAge barley’s high amylopectin content gives it technological advantages. Due to its delayed retrogradation, baked goods are able to remain fresh for extremely long periods of time. Also, thanks to its mild aromatic taste and light colour, baked goods with StoneAge barley are well accepted amongst consumers.

Bettina Zeuch, product manger at KAMPFFMEYER Food Innovation GmbH, says: “The rediscovery of this ancient barley variety offers the bakery industry and small traditional trade bakeries the ability to produce healthy yet tasty baked goods with a high barley content. We are delighted that we can provide our clients with recipes which satisfy the minimum beta glucan content specified in the proposed EU health claim. Thus, clients and consumers can be sure that the claimed health benefit really can be achieved.”