Teff (Eragrostis tef) as a raw material for malting, brewing and manufacturing of gluten-free foods and beverages: a review

Abstract

The demand for gluten-free foods is certainly increasing. Interest in teff has increased noticeably due to its very attractive nutritional profile and gluten-free nature of the grain, making it a suitable substitute for wheat and other cereals in their food applications as well as foods for people with celiac disease. The main objective of this article is to review researches on teff, evaluate its suitability for different food applications, and give direction for further research on its applications for health food market. Teff is a tropical low risk cereal that grows in a wider ecology and can tolerate harsh environmental conditions where most other cereals are less viable. It has an excellent balance of amino acid composition (including all 8 essential amino acids for humans) making it an excellent material for malting and brewing. Because of its small size, teff is made into whole-grain flour (bran and germ included), resulting in a very high fiber content and high nutrient content in general. Teff is useful to improve the haemoglobin level in human body and helps to prevent malaria, incidence of anaemia and diabetes. The nutrient composition of teff grain indicates that it has a good potential to be used in foods and beverages worldwide. The high levels of simple sugars and α-amino acids as a result of breakdown of starch and protein, respectively, are essential for fermentation and beer making.

Teff: Suitability for Different Food Applications and as a Raw Material of Gluten-free, a Literature Review

“…Interest in teff has increased noticeably due to its very attractive nutritional profile and gluten-free nature of the grain, making it a suitable substitute for wheat and other cereals in their food applications as well as foods for people with celiac disease [14,15].…”

“…Thus, they need to be fortified to fulfill the requirements of the daily intake [16,17]. Teff has naturally higher nutritional value when compared to many other grains, and doesn't need to be fortified [15].…”

Gluten-Free Flours from Different Raw Materials as the Source of Vitamin B₁, B₂, B₃ and B₆

“…Nowadays, the nutritional value of GF products and GFD are becoming more relevant. Some data on vitamin content in different GF products can be found in the literature, but they refer mainly to the most popular GF products from rice and corn or only to the GF raw materials (16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24). Knowledge about the nutritional quality of the final GF products, especially from less popular GF raw materials, is very limited and is especially important in flours, as the milling process causes significant losses of some nutrients, e.g.…”

Cereals for developing gluten-free products and analytical tools for gluten detection

“…Teff, a low risk cereal for coeliacs that is grown in Ethiopa and other countries, has an excellent amino acid composition (including all 8 essential amino acids for humans), very high fibre content and high nutrient content in general, being suitable for gluten-free applications (Gebremariam et al, 2012).…”