Falling number

Lampinen R. In Poutanen K, Autio K, eds. International Rye Symposium Technology and Products. Espoo, Finland VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland 1995 9. 

Schierbaum F, Radosta S, Richter M, Kettlitz B, Gernat C. Starch/Starke. 1991 43 3313. 

Schirner R, Bernhardt T, Kraetz H, Schulz P, Schmidts R, Kunz B, German Democratic Republic Patent 19860129 1986. 

Bernhardt T, Goermer L, Schmidt H, Nindel H, German Democratic Republic Patent 19860514 1986. 

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Levels of the enzyme a-amylase in wheat grains also affect breadmaking quality. Flour for bread-making requires low levels of a-amylase and this is favoured by a dry ripe dormant grain. The Falling Number (Hagberg) Test is used to determine a-amylase levels. A... 

While malt flour is not suitable for bread making it is added to wheat flour in small quantities to feed the yeast, open out the texture and improve the flavour. This practice has declined in recent years for several reasons. When British bread flour was mainly made from Canadian wheat with a Hagberg Falling Number of around 600 the addition of... 

British plain flour is made to a very wide specification that guarantees that it is white, unbleached and untreated. The Hagberg Falling number should not be too low. 

The reason for the non-response of the Hagberg Falling Number to fungal a-amylase is that it is inactivated at 75°C rather than the 87°C of cereal a-amylase. It turns out that fungal a-amylase preparations improve loaf volumes considerably. Most of this effect is produced by a lipoxygenase enzyme that is also present. 

EMPIRICAL TESTING REGIMES 5.2.1 The Hagberg Falling Number... 

The Hagberg Falling Number test only just qualifies for this section as it is an effective way of measuring the a-amylase activity of wheat or flour. It has the considerable advantage that it is unaffected by any added fungal a-amylase. In addition, it only requires a supply of distilled water and electricity - there is no need for chemical glassware or any reagents. 

When Canadian wheat flour was the norm in British bakeries, with a falling number as high as 600, it was desirable to introduce malt flour to increase the a-amylase to feed the yeast and open up the structure of the crumb. 

In a year when there has been rain during harvest, causing wheat to sprout, the falling number becomes very important. An example of such a year was 1987, when rain in East Anglia meant that the winter wheat in that area was largely unfit for bread making. In contrast the spring... 

The Hagberg Falling Number is a test that is used across Northern Europe, where excessive amylase values can be a problem. However, it is not used in Spain, presumably because the climate is such that excessive amylase does not occur. 

Soda bread can be made with a weaker flour than yeast raised bread and should be baked at a cooler temperature. The flour should not have too low a Hagberg Falling Number. 

Pathophysiologically, splenomegaly brings about redistribution with falling numbers correlating with organ enlargement. 

Total employment at U.S. chemicals manufacturing firms fell by 13,800 from 2007 to 2008 to reach 847,100. 2009 employment figures for chemicals fell further to 802,800. Employment at plastics and rubber plants fell dramatically by 27,800 from 2007 to 2008 to 729,400 and even more drastically in 2009 to 627,400. Unfortunately, this isn t due to a rise in productivity it s due to a falling number of factories. In 2007-2009, closings included the shuttering of Sun Chemical Corporation s Rosebank facility in Staten Island, New York and Dow Chemical s Latex production facility in Freeport, Texas. Through 2010, Dow Chemical planned to close six ethylene-related chemical plants in Louisiana and Texas. 

Merck stock plunged almost 10 percent. For that matter, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S P 500 stock index also slipped a little, and some observers blamed Merck in part for those drops. Analysts do not like to see numbers fall below what they ve counted on. And they especially do not like surprises about falling numbers. 

Over the period 2002-2008 microalgae flora of the Large Aral Sea has essentially become poor. However, since 2004, we observed a decrease in the rates of falling numbers in the Western basin. And from September 2006 till June 2008 -occurred a period of relative stabilisation of the total number of species. Thus, the diatom component which is diversified and consequently significant continues to grow slowly, but steadily. 

The illicit manufacture of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy) has also been reported in regions previously not affected by such activities. While, in general, little information is available on the methods of diversion and smuggling routes for precursors of Ecstasy, Europe remains the main destination and Asia the main source of those chemicals. Falling numbers of seizures of relevant precursors in Europe indicate that traffickers may have identified new methods and routes of diversion. The Board is recommending several specific measures with regard to safrole and safrole-rich oils, in view of its concerns that they may be used in the illicit manufacture of MDMA (Ecstasy). 

Figure 17.3 Development of average falling numbers, as indicator for amylase activity, of rye during two decades in Germany.

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