The Sorghum Solution
Grain Sorghum is one of the oldest known grains originating in Africa and India where it is commonly used in a variety of foods. Around the world, sorghum is used in food products including porridges, breads, cookies, tortillas, and extruded commercial products. Grain sorghum is a significant crop in North America due to its tolerance to growing conditions not suitable for other crops, but has traditionally been overlooked for food applications.
Color varieties of sorghum range from dark brown to red to white, with various benefits and flavors associated with each. ADM’s white sorghum flour has a light color and neutral flavor. Processed similar to wheat flour, white sorghum flour has a bland flavor that can be beneficial because it does not add an unfamiliar or distinctive taste. The whole grain white sorghum flour can be used to provide nutritional benefits associated with whole grains.
Sorghum flours offer a gluten free solution that is more economical than specialty starches and competitively priced with other flours.
Gluten Free
Traditionally a niche market, gluten-free food products have become a dynamic sector, with annual growth rate of 29%.1
These products are designed for people with intolerance to wheat, and specifically for people with coeliac/celiac disease, who suffer from a life-long inflammatory condition of the intestinal tract caused by gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. In the US, research estimates that 1 in 133 people have Celiac disease, and must avoid gluten.2
Damage from gluten reduces the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from food. The only treatment is a strict glutenfree diet. Specially manufactured gluten-free foods, which are labeled as such, are often available to replace wheat flour based products.
Wheat gluten can be difficult to avoid because it is found in many packaged foods, such as soups and sauces, under the following names: modified starch, hydrolysed/textured vegetable/plant protein, binders, fillers, extenders and malt. ADM sorghum flours are an excellent option to replace wheat flour in these applications.
Whole Grain
The health benefits of whole grains have been extensively studied to the degree that the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans report states “Consuming at least 3 ounce equivalents of whole grains per day can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, may help with weight maintenance, and may lower risk for other chronic diseases.” Whole grains are key ingredients to provide antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and more. Whole grain white sorghum flour can be used to provide these important nutritional components.
1 Euromonitor International. Global Market for Food Intolerance Products. April 2, 2009
2 Fasano A, Berti I, Gerarduzzi T, et al. Prevalence of celiac disease in at-risk and not-at-risk groups in the United States. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2003;163(3):268–292.
