Sorghum Checkoff Hosts Food Workshop

On June 2-3, a milestone was completed for sorghum producers and the food industry alike. The Sorghum Checkoff hosted a Sorghum Food Workshop, and what better place for this workshop to be held than the American Institute of Baking (AIB) in Manhattan, Kan. The attendees, mainly members of the baking industry, were educated on how and why sorghum can be used as a healthy, whole grain and gluten-free solution.

Attendees sampled foods made using gluten-free ingredients, including sorghum. Foods ranged from bread, buns and crackers and sweets, including brownies, cookies, cakes and muffins, along with many other samples. Attendees also toured AIB and witnessed a demonstration of baking gluten-free chocolate chip cookies on industrial sized equipment.

Presentations were made by University and industry scientists about the benefits of sorghum. The presenters covered information about the research projects that are under way to support the use of sorghum in the food industry.

“There is a lot of potential for the utilization of sorghum as food,” said Dr. Lloyd Rooney, a professor and researcher at Texas A&M University. The main topic of the workshop was sorghum’s health opportunities in the food market and its benefits to human health. Presenter’s also addressed topics such as the digestibility of sorghum starch and proteins, sorghum glycemic index testing, milling and flour quality, and the health benefits from lipids in sorghum which, have potential for lowering “bad cholesterol levels.”

Follow up visits with the baking industry are being planned to get sorghum incorporated into more products.