Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council

The Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council (MWRPC) was awarded an Agricultural Growth, Research, & Innovation (AGRI) Crop Research Grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) to fund a two-year study that has the potential for meaningful long-term advances for an important Minnesota commodity. The AGRI Crop Research Grant was awarded through a competitive application process to provide funds for applied crop research that will improve agricultural product quality, quantity, or value.

The study, titled Wheat Variety and Sourdough Product Analysis for Anti-Nutrient Levels Related to Digestibility, will be done in cooperation with the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI), the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) and its Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, and Back When Foods, Inc.

The research project will pursue three objectives:

1) Characterizing and identifying variants of genetic markers for FODMAPs and ATI activity in ancient, heritage and modern wheat varieties, which will generate new and critical information about the levels of FODMAPs and ATI activity in these varieties.

2) Exploration of fermentation as a technique to reduce FODMAPs and ATI quantities in finished products, including bread.

3) Establishing a pathway to implement research outcomes to industry.

The ultimate goal of the research is to create new opportunities for wheat-based products, consumable by those with wheat digestion concerns. Additionally, the study has the potential to provide new market opportunities that could have a positive financial impact for the wheat industry growers and Minnesota.

To learn more about the progress made in the study, please review the following articles: