The U.S. Grains Council was among more than 300 exhibitors at the recently concluded Taipei International Bakery Show in Taiwan. The Council promoted U.S. beta-glucan barley which, according to U.S. research, has heart-healthy properties to include reducing cholesterol and the risk of coronary heart disease.

“Overall, there was an excellent turn-out for the show,” said Clover Chang, USGC director for Taiwan. “Many people visited the Council’s booth to gain familiarity with U.S. beta-glucan barley, the health benefits from beta-glucan barley and food products made from U.S. barley.”

The Taiwanese general public is focused on learning more about food ingredients and products after a rash of food safety issues in 2013. As a result, more products are now subject to approval by Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) before they can be sold to the general public.

The Nam Chow Group’s Ready-to-eat Barley-Rice product that uses U.S. barley in its preparation, has received this approval from MOHW. This certification has drawn more attention to barley and barley-based foods at this show and is an important step in the commercialization of barley foods in Taiwan.

“Taiwan is an important market for U.S. food barley,” says Chang. “The health-conscious public is interested in consuming healthy foods, which means U.S. beta-glucan barley with its nutritional characteristics appeal to them. The Council will continue to work with the Taiwanese barley industry to promote its health benefits.”