Building a more sustainable and resilient grain processing sector focusing on underutilized grains and innovative processing.
The objective of the project is to diversify Canada’s grain sector and enhance its resilience by exploring the potential of four underutilized, locally grown crops—buckwheat, quinoa, millet, and white sorghum—as functional alternatives to wheat and corn. The project aims to (1) characterize the nutritional and functional properties of these grains, (2) assess how sprouting impacts the digestibility and behavior of starches and proteins in one selected grain, (3) evaluate the effects of solid-state fermentation using targeted microbial cultures, and (4) investigate how microwave and extrusion processing can enhance the grains’ nutritional value and functionality for food industry applications.
Timeline Fall 2028