Formula Foods

Internationally standardized method for sprout damage detection.

The Falling Number System measures the alpha-amylase enzyme activity in grains and flour to detect sprout damage, optimise flour enzyme activity and guarantee soundness of traded grain. Alpha-amylase activity is crucial for final product quality of bread, pasta, noodles and malt. Anyone handling wheat, barley, rye or sorghum intended for these applications will benefit from the Falling Number system.

Applications:

Grain trade

In years with rainy weather conditions during harvest, significant sprout damage may occur. In such years every truck load of grain should be tested at the grain intake before unloading and segregated to different silo bins to avoid mixing loads of sound grain with sprout damaged grain. Damaged grain can be used for animal feed or other non-baking purposes such as biofuel. The segregation is important as an uncontrolled mixing of even a few percent of highly sprouted grain with sound grain can make the entire mixture unsuitable for bread making or other end product purposes. Segregation also allows for a careful blending of grains to meet FN specifications particularly at the flour mill.

Flour milling and baking

Millers may use the FN value to produce products with desired or specific FN values. They may blend flours of various FN values to produce a product with a specific amylase activity. Malt can be added to adjust the value in a similar manner.

Pasta and Noodles

Producing noodles from flour with a low Falling Number is difficult, with dough handling and cutting problems and product sticking to machinery. It also results in an off-color end consumer product which will be sticky after it is boiled. Using flour with the correct Falling Number will result in savings through improved processing as well as a higher quality end product.

Malting

To avoid purchase of pre-germinated barley the Falling Number analysis can be used for acceptance testing at the barley intake. The method is rapid and determines if the barley is pre-germinated within 5 minutes.
FN > 250 Sound barley, batch OK for intake
FN < 250 Pre-germinated. Risk for poor germination, further tests needed.

For more information about the Falling Number or other Perten products please feel free to visit Perten's Website.

Perten

Specialists in Quality control of grain, flour, food and feed.