Food In Canada

Ethanol leftovers can be turned into flour

By Food in Canada staff   

Research & Development flour


The work of a food science graduate student from South Dakota State University may mean ethanol will have a bigger role in the food industry.

Sowmya Arra’s research could mean leftover materials from ethanol will be used to make more nutritional baked products, reports the University.

When ethanol is distilled from corn to use as a fuel additive, it leaves leftover material as dried distillers grain (DDG).

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Arra’s research uncovered a practical use for the DDG, creating a new flour-like product to use in food.

To modify the DDG for human consumption, Arra created a process of heating, vacuum chamber treatment, grinding and sterilization resulting in a product more wholesome than typical ingredients found in consumers’ kitchens.

Post-processed DDG closely resembles wheat flour and may eventually be used as a flour substitute.

“By making the ingredient as bland, colour neutral and nutrient-enriched as possible, we can offer a product that may have international feeding applications,” says Arra.

The flour, reports FoodNavigator.com, has potential applications in naan, chapathi, tortillas, cookies, noodles and breads.


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