Production and Uses of Barley Starch

The quantity of barley starch produced around the world is very little when compared to starch production from corn, wheat, rice, potato or tapioca. There are only a few processing plants around the world that produce starch concentrate or purified starch from barley. Barley starch concentrates containing up to —78% (dry basis) starch are now produced in North America by milling and air-classification of barley grains. Milling disintegrates the grain into fine particles and air-classification separates them on the basis of differences in density, mass and projected area in the direction of air 

The abundance of corn in North America at a relatively low and steady price, and its higher starch content, make it a much more attractive raw material for starch production than barley. Therefore, the potential success of a barley wet-milling operation which produces starch as a main product would rely on the value of other grain components such as (3-glucan, bran and protein. 

This review has shown that most studies on barley starches have been focused on understanding the fine structures, particle size distribution, chemical composition, gelatinization properties and susceptibility towards enzyme hydrolysis. However, there is a dearth of information on the rheological and retrogradation characteristics of barley starches from different cultivars. Furthermore, the response of small and large barley starch granules towards physical and chemical modification needs investigation. Research in the above areas is underway in our laboratories. It is hoped that this study may improve the utilization of different types of barley starches for specific products within the food and paper industry. 

Nilan RA, Ullrich SE. In MacGregor AW, Bhatty RS, eds. Barley Chemistry and Technology. St. Paul, MN American Association of Cereal Chemists 1993 88. 

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