The Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council is collaborating with the Alberta Wheat Commission and the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission on research aimed at determining whether the process used to produce sourdough bread could lead to a more easily digested food option for individuals who are sensitive to wheat consumption.

Funding for this project includes $70,000 from AWC, $57,250 from Sask Wheat and $20,000 from MWRPC, for a total of $147,250 over a three-year period.

Led by Michael Gänzle, a food microbiologist at the University of Alberta in Canada, the project looks at the sourdough bread fermentation process that breaks down the proteins and carbohydrates in wheat flour that are known to cause wheat sensitivity. Gänzle’s project aims to better understand whether this fermentation process is sufficient in reducing adverse effects. In turn, Gänzle will define best practices, so the resulting bread can be more easily digested by these individuals.

“When we learned of Dr. Gänzle's research, we saw tremendous value in the expected outcomes related to the consumption of wheat-based foods,” says Tony Brateng, a Roseau, Minn., farmer, MWRPC board member and research committee chairman. “MWRPC is partnering with the Minnesota-based Agricultural Utilization Research Institute for this effort and is very proud of this first-ever joint research funding with our neighboring farmer-led wheat organizations in western Canada.”

Potential for farmers, baking industry
Laura Reiter, Sask Wheat chairwoman, notes that the research project has exciting potential for the baking industry.

“We hope the results will lead to products that more people can enjoy, while creating new market opportunities for grain farmers,” she says.

Gänzle also indicates that the use of sourdough in industrial baking reduces ingredient cost and can improve the quality of bread.

“There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that sourdough bread is tolerated by consumers with non-celiac wheat or gluten intolerance, but the science is not available to back up these claims,” says Gänzle. “We aim to determine whether fermentation reduces or eliminates individual wheat components that are known or suspected to cause adverse effects.”

While Gänzle’s project aims to create a more easily digestible product for gluten-sensitive individuals, it is recognized that this research won’t create a product that is acceptable for the estimated 1% of the population who suffer from celiac disease.

The commissions look forward to working with Gänzle to report the results of this project upon completion in 2021.

Source: Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council