Treated grain products based on intermediate wheat, and processes for producing the same

Abstract

This invention treats intermediate wheat grain to enhance detectable characteristics such as a “spicy/cinnamon/sweet” attribute and/or an increase in readily extractable hydroxycinnamic acids, such as ferulic acid. A process for treating intermediate wheat to enhance its hydroxycinnamate extractability, comprises: providing a starting feedstock comprising grain from Thinopyrum intermedium; treating the starting feedstock in a reactor in the presence of water, for a treatment time selected from 1 hour to 8 hours, at a treatment temperature selected from 10° C. to 35° C., at a treatment pH selected from 5.0 to 8.0, and a mass ratio of water to starting feedstock of at least 1, thereby generating a treated grain. As a result of the treatment, the treated grain is characterized by at least 25% higher hydroxycinnamate extractability compared to the starting grain. The treated grain may be recovered as a milled flour product. Experimental data demonstrate the utility of the invention.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.