Bred using traditional plant breeding, BARLEYmax™ has a unique starch profile, giving it nutritional properties quite different to other grains.

CSIRO has conducted animal and human trials of BARLEYmax™ and found potential health benefits in several areas:

• BARLEYmax™ can be used to produce foods with a low glycaemic index (GI) – useful in managing diabetes. A prototype BARLEYmax™ breakfast cereal had a GI of 50, compared to a conventional barley cereal GI of 77.
   
• BARLEYmax™ has high levels of ß-Glucan, a soluble fibre with cholesterol lowering properties.
   
• BARLEYmax™ is high in insoluble dietary fibre and resistant starch, which both help maintain bowel health. Resistant starch takes longer to digest, helps regulate blood sugar and promotes healthy digestive bacteria.

Of course, all this means little if the final product isn’t good to eat.

Prototype products show that BARLEYmax™ has excellent processing qualities for making breakfast cereals, bread and other bakery products. The natural sweetness of the grain means it has an appealing taste without added sugar.

CSIRO plant breeders in Canberra have developed elite lines of BARLEYmax™ for further development - it may not be too long before products made from BARLEYmax™ are on your breakfast table.

Source: CSIRO Plant Industry newsletter

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CSIRO has developed a new type of barley – BARLEYmax™ – which has significant human health benefits.

“Bred using traditional plant breeding techniques, BARLEYmax™ has a unique starch profile, giving it nutritional properties quite different to other grains,” CSIRO Plant Industry's Dr Matthew Morell says.

According to CSIRO Health Sciences and Nutrition scientist, Dr David Topping, extensive trials of BARLEYmax™ have found it can provide potential health benefits in several important areas.

“BARLEYmax™ can be used to produce foods with a low glycaemic index (GI), which could be useful in managing diabetes,” Dr Topping says. “Human trials found that a BARLEYmax™ breakfast cereal had a GI of 50, compared to a conventional barley cereal GI of 77.

“BARLEYmax™ has high levels of ß-Glucan, a soluble fibre with cholesterol lowering properties.

“The grain is also high in insoluble dietary fibre and resistant starch, which have important roles in maintaining bowel health. Resistant starch takes longer to digest, helps regulate blood sugar and promotes healthy digestive bacteria.”

Test products have shown that BARLEYmax™ has excellent processing qualities for making breakfast cereals, bread and other bakery products. The natural sweetness of the grain means it has an appealing taste without added sugar.

CSIRO plant breeders have developed elite lines of BARLEYmax™ and produced enough seed for extensive field trials and product evaluation.

“It may, therefore, not be too long before BARLEYmax™ products are on Australian breakfast tables,” Dr Topping says.