The health benefits of U.S. high-glucan barley will be showcased at the Taipei International Bakery Show as part of a joint effort by the U.S. Grains Council, the China Grain Products Research and Development Institute, Taiwan Barley Product Industry Association, Taipei Barley Association and several commercial companies.

“This display of food products featuring U.S. barley will develop regional confidence in marketing healthy barley food products,” said Clover Chang, USGC director in Taiwan.

“We will also focus on educating the public about the grain’s nutritional value by introducing healthy new products that will help change the general psychology surrounding barley use.”

In a second barley initiative, the Council has nominated participants from four key companies in Taiwan for a barley short-course scheduled for March at the Wheat Marketing Center in Portland, Oregon.

“There are two objectives for this course,” explained Chang. “The attendees will learn how to enhance the dietary value of wheat flour-based products by incorporating barley flour into their products, and they will see how to develop formulations and modified processing conditions for barley-fortified wheat products.”

The short-course roster is expected to include representatives from a major importer of U.S. beta-glucan barley, a frozen noodle producer and an R&D manager from a leading chain of multi-grain bakery outlets.