Chemical and Physical Characterization of Sorghum Milling Fractions and Sorghum Whole Meal Flours Obtained via Stone or Roller Milling

Abstract

Due to climate change sorghum might gain widespread in the Western countries, as the grain is adapted to hot climate. Additionally sorghum contains a notable amount of health-promoting nutrients. However, Western countries do not have a long history of sorghum consumption, and thus little experience in processing it. Milling systems in these areas were mostly developed for wheat or rye milling. In the present work, the effectiveness of sorghum milling when using a stone and a roller milling system (pilot scale) was investigated as well as its impact on the chemical and physical properties of the obtained flour fractions and whole-grain flours. Results showed that both milling systems could be successfully adapted to producing chemically and physically distinct flour and bran fractions from the small sorghum kernels. Fractions with increased bran material that contained higher amounts of ash, protein, fat, total dietary fiber, and total phenolic content but less starch, showed enhanced water absorption indices and water solubility indices. Interestingly, no significant difference was found in the ash and fat content of the different fractions obtained from stone milling. Overall, the study provided information on the production and composition of distinct flour fractions, which offer a wider range of future food applications.

Reversed-Phase HPLC Characterization and Quantification and Antioxidant Capacity of the Phenolic Acids and Flavonoids Extracted From Eight Varieties of Sorghum Grown in Austria

“…In Austria, this cereal grain is still only used for animal nutrition and ethanol production. However, its potential for human consumption and food processing is now being investigated ( Rumler et al, 2021 ). Sorghum is one of the cereal crops that are most resistant to drought as it uses the C4 carbon fixation pathway, an advantageous and efficient photosynthetic process.…”

Effect of Sorghum on Rheology and Final Quality of Western Style Breads: A Literature Review

“…It was not clear whether a high fat content in sorghum brings difficulties within a milling process. However, in 2021 authors concluded that sorghum flour can be provided via commercial wheat mills [ 15 ].…”

“…For example, a sorghum kernel which owns a red pericarp, may have a light endosperm color. Therefore, if special food colors are required, the insertion of sorghum fraction flours may be useful in order to achieve appropriate food appearances [15]. However, the color of the pericarp is not always indicative of the appearance of sorghum flour.…”

Effects of Dry Heat Treatment and Milling on Sorghum Chemical Composition, Functional and Molecular Characteristics

“…On the other hand, transferring results research from lab-scale mills to an industrial scale milling system represents a challenge. Recently, Rumler et al [27] investigated the effectiveness of sorghum milling when using two different milling systems and showed their impact on the chemical and physical properties of flour fractions and whole sorghum flours obtained.…”