Reading Time: 2 minutes In recognition of the United Nations declaration of 2016 as International Year of Pulses (IYP), several pulse-related events are planned in Canada and other countries in an effort to draw global attention to the use of pulses. Themes being promoted include food security, nutrition and innovation; creating awareness; market access and stability; and productivity and […] Read more
Canadian pulses for the world
Cigi will engage with industry on pulse quality during International Year of Pulses
The difference between noodles and pasta
Noodles are usually made from common wheat, while pasta is mainly made with durum
Reading Time: 3 minutes Noodles and pasta are common food products that people often think are the same thing, but beneath the surface there is a lot that differentiates them, says a technical staff member at Cigi (Canadian International Grains Institute). “Visitors to Cigi’s processing facilities frequently ask what is the difference between them,” says Kasia Kaminska, technician in […] Read more
Peas — your morning cereal
Cereal manufacturers are looking to counter declining sales by increasing the nutritional content of their products
Reading Time: 3 minutes As the quality of processed foods faces greater scrutiny from consumers and media, the food industry has responded by focusing greater attention on improving nutrition in their products. Cigi (Canadian International Grains institute) is currently working with an international pulse task force led by representatives from major food-processing companies, food equipment manufacturers, millers, and the […] Read more
Boosting bread flour with barley
Barley can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, regulate blood glucose levels and possibly offset certain cancers
Reading Time: 3 minutes Finding better ways to mill Canadian food barley into flour may open opportunities for its commercial use as a healthy ingredient. Preliminary work done several years ago at Cigi (Canadian International Grains Institute) revealed that milling performance of food barley is improved when it is blended with wheat, producing flour with enhanced nutritional properties. During […] Read more
The future of minor wheat classes
Recent changes in marketing and grading regulations should mean more acres, but non-CWRS wheats are still struggling to find their place
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s a chicken-and-egg standoff. Prairie farmers are enthusiastic about the higher yields from minor classes like Prairie spring, extra strong and winter wheat, but they want an assured market. Marketers say they can sell it — if farmers grow a consistent supply. Then there’s the question or where to spend scarce research dollars. “Our association […] Read more
Laying a foundation for Canada’s pulse industry
Today we know more about how to make the pulse industry grow, thanks to a decade of Cigi research
Reading Time: 3 minutes It was 10 years ago that the Canadian International Grains Institute launched its pulse-processing and specialty milling facility, and since then, Cigi’s pulse activity on behalf of the Canadian industry has leapt ahead. “There was a need in Canada to add value to pulses by processing domestically,” says Peter Frohlich, project manager for pulses and […] Read more
How Australia plans to beat Canadian farmers
A must read from Down Under for coming out on top
Reading Time: 6 minutes You have to admit that for an economic study, this one has a great title: “The Puck Stops Here!: Canada challenges Australia’s grain supply chains.” The new study is by the Australian Export Grains Innovation Center (AEGIC), and it looks into Western Canada’s export grain supply chain. In fact, it looks at our grain system […] Read more
Canada’s durum wheat and the couscous factor
Canada’s durum meets the high quality requirements of its biggest market
Reading Time: 3 minutes Although durum wheat is synonymous with pasta as an end product, Canada’s biggest durum-importing region actually uses a significant percentage of its imports for couscous. “North Africa is different from the rest of the world with respect to the use of durum because a lot of it is used for couscous, whereas when the rest […] Read more
A gluten-free market for pulses
A new Cigi project may help western pulses tap into growing nutritional demand
Reading Time: 3 minutes The use of pulses as ingredients to improve nutritional levels in gluten-free commercial food products is the focus of a four-year project that began last April at Cigi (Canadian International Grains Institute). Gluten-free products have been on the radar for the pulse industry for some time, says Heather Maskus, project manager for pulse flour milling […] Read more
Grain grading, and the science behind falling number
The test is an effective way to determine sprout damage in wheat
Reading Time: 3 minutes Pre-harvest sprouting or germination of wheat triggered by wet weather during the end stage of new-crop maturity can lead to poor end-product quality. The falling number test is one effective and objective way to determine the extent of sprout damage in a wheat sample. “Farmers are especially interested in falling number when they come to […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
