Cereal Technology - projects and publications

Cereal technology

Active research staff

Salovaara, Hannu Professor (-1994-)
Sontag-Strohm, Tuula (1994-)
Kaarlehto, Tiina (-1994-)

Main research themes and projects (1994-98)

Gluten protein composition and quality in bread wheats
We have identified important glutenin and gliadin subunits in Nordic spring wheats and developed techniques for predicting the baking performance. M.Sc. Tuula Sontag-Strohm defended her doctoral thesis “Gluten protein composition and quality in bread wheats” in January 1999.

Biotechnology of sour rye bread baking
In our sourdough projects financed by TEKES, Nordic Industrial Foundation (Oslo) and industry, we have developed a system for substituting bakers yeast for the indigeneous Candida milleri - yeast in order to leaven rye dough without added bakers yeast. The system is now used industrially in two bakeries. In the Nordic project we developed - in cooperation with a company producing fermentation tanks - an improved system for better handling and maintaining of rye sourdough and sourdough starter. Two tank installations (3000 l and 1000 l) were already delivered to Swedish bakeries.

Oat technology
We developed a process and prototype for a yoghurt-type non-dairy snack based on probiotic fermented oat bran - a novel functional food. The process is patented internationally. Two national awards were given to the innovation in 1997. Retail sales of industrial production (Yosa) now exceed 1 Mio euro/yr in Finland.

We are also developing baking technology for oats, including non-gluten baking for coeliac patients. The hydrothermal treatment of oats and its effects on the macromolecules of oats and their functional properties on baking, biotechnological processing and mysli flakes has been studied. We have also studied the proteolytic system in resting and germinating oats (M.Sc. Markku Mikola, doctoral thesis will be completed later in 1999).