June 1997
What Overseas USW Offices Say About US Spring Wheat Quality
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Prairie Grains is the
official publication of
the Minnesota
Association of
Wheat Growers,
North Dakota Grain
Growers Association,
South Dakota Wheat,
Inc., and the
Minnesota Barley
Growers Association.
K.H. Lu, Director USW, Taipei, Taiwan
The gluten strength of the 14.5% DNS imported to Taiwan was quite satisfactory for the Taiwanese millers for making bread flour. The users were also satisfied with the biting quality of noodles made with DNS flour. However, they would be much impressed with a DNS flour with a better color and higher flour extraction. The gluten strength of the DNS imported in 1995-96 was relatively weaker than that imported before 1995.
Important quality characteristics of HRS for making bread and noodles in Taiwan include: high kernel vitreousness, high protein, good gluten strength. U.S. spring wheat marketing efforts in Taiwan would be aided by less dockage, less ash in DNS, and by the development of a white bran DNS wheat for the Taiwanese noodle market.
Won B. Koh, Director, USW regional office, Seoul, Korea
Users are generally satisfied with the quality of our DNS, but some view Canadian Western Red Spring (CWRS) as having better protein quality. The quality of U.S. DNS has slightly deteriorated in terms of protein quantity and quality, as well as kernel size, in the last five years. Buyers (millers) generally are unwilling to pay a premium for higher quality, because they in turn would need to raise flour prices, which would be objectionable to consumers. A better segregation system, uniform quality, and a lower price are factors which would benefit market share in Korea. Test weight, protein quantity and quality, and falling numbers (low sprout) are characteristics which matter most to Korean users of U.S. HRS.
Bob Bratland, North Asian Region VP, and Director of USW Tokyo
The satisfaction with the quality of U.S. DNS somewhat depends on the year and who you talk to. In general Japanese millers have been satisfied with 1996 crop DNS in terms of overall performance, which was not true of the 1995 crop.
Japanese millers recognize certain advantages of DNS such as lower moisture and stronger gluten. What is brought up when comparing DNS with CWRS, however, is that CWRS is more uniform and cleaner. With fewer varieties in Canada and their policy of cleaning the wheat before exporting, these comparisons are valid. With DNS becoming cleaner we hear less about that, but the uniformity matter is always mentioned.
Japanese millers have noticed a deterioration of wheat quality over the past five years, but recognize that much of it probably has to do with weather-related problems. There are comments about more variability in baking performance due to poor protein quality, which could be variety related.
The Japanese miller would probably pay a premium for higher quality U.S. HRS, since they pay a premium for CWRS, but it has to be real better quality, not just hype.
DNS will be perceived as comparable to Canadian CWRS if the U.S. adapts stricter rules on varieties and tightens the official U.S. Grain Standards sufficiently to stop the blending of inferior wheat with high quality wheat. There needs to be tighter limits on damaged kernels, shrunken and broken kernels, total defects, and foreign material. A feed grade also needs to be established to help make it easier to find a home for poorer quality wheat.
The HRS quality characteristic most in demand in Japan probably is gluten. However, in Japan they don't want their spring wheat gluten too strong; they like it somewhat on the mellow side, and that's when they turn to CWRS. They do like the lower moisture and the strong gluten of U.S. wheat for the products they need it for, however.
U.S. spring wheat growers and handlers can improve quality by producing varieties that have good milling and baking characteristics, cleaning wheat, and not blending sprouted or damaged wheat with good quality wheat. n