A leading food and beverage production company joined the U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC’s) Mexico team in the states in 2022 to focus on product development using sorghum.

While in Fargo, North Dakota, and Manhattan, Kansas, the team spent time learning about the U.S. sorghum market, available varieties, sorghum composition and production practices, while also meeting with potential suppliers. The hands-on product development portion of the program took place at the Northern Crops Institute (NCI), with a focus on baking and extruding to develop new sorghum products for the company.

“With the added value of what this super grain has to offer, like being gluten free, having antioxidant properties and its sustainability features, our group was very interested in conducting trials on the baking and puffing qualities of sorghum,” said Javier Chavez, USGC marketing specialist in Mexico.

The Council has been active in promoting sorghum for feed in Mexico and is  looking to expand its use into the food production industry. Following the company’s request to learn more about the U.S. commodity, the Council helped the group identify ideal varieties and how to procure them. The company currently has three research centers, where it focuses on the development of new products, like those made with sorghum.

“As a research and development team, this group was interested in looking at the science of sorghum use in their snacks. The science behind this commodity will only add to our list of advantages when marketing sorghum to other groups around the world. The sustainable aspects of sorghum will also be important to promote as companies like this look to comply with their own sustainability goals,” Chavez said.

The Council sees this program as the first step in providing guidance for future sorghum food programs, which allows the organization to better understand the needs of food production groups.