USA: GIPSA will introduce new official protein content testing for barley on July 1

On July 1, 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) will introduce new official protein content testing for barley. The national inspection and weighing system will provide this service, upon request, using state-of-the-art Artificial Neural Network (ANN) calibrations on near infrared transmittance (NIRT) instruments. Protein content is a key attribute that determines malting barley’s value.

This new service will facilitate the marketing of U.S. barley by providing information that producers need to realize the full value of their product, and that end-users need to optimize their products.

Barley is the third most widely grown feed grain in the United States after corn and sorghum. In 2003/2004, barley accounted for 5.3 million acres, or approximately 2 percent of America’s total crop area. The United States is the seventh-largest barley producing country in the world.

In 2003/2004, the United States produced 278 million bushels of the important feed grain valued at over $750 million. Barley has a variety of uses, including as an edible grain for human consumption and a feed grain. Because of available premiums, much of U.S. production is malting barley, which is used for malting and brewing.

The price spread between feed barley and malting barley can be very significant, ranging from $0.30 to nearly $2.00 per bushel, depending on supply and demand at any given time. The value of malting barley, both to producers and end users, hinges largely on its protein content (along with variety and the percentage of sound kernels). Both too little and too much protein are undesirable.

GIPSA’s new testing service will provide the information that producers need to realize the full value of their product, and that maltsters need to optimize end-use production.

Barley Protein Measurement Service: This is the first time that GIPSA’s official inspection system has offered an official test for barley protein content.

Recently developed state-of-the-art Artificial Neural Network (ANN) calibration development techniques allow GIPSA to determine barley, and wheat, protein with a greater degree of accuracy than was possible with the more limited calibration approaches that were previously available.

GIPSA began using ANN calibrations for official wheat protein content measurement in May 2005.

The barley protein testing service will provide a fair, accurate and transparent third party determination, backed by a national quality control process, and standardized instrumentation, reference samples, calibrations and procedures.

E-malt.com, the global information source for the brewing and malting industry professionals. The bi-weekly E-malt.com Newsletters feature latest industry news, statistics in graphs and tables, world barley and malt prices, and other relevant information. Click here to get full access to E-malt.com. If you are a Castle Malting client, you can get free access to E-malt.com website and publications. Contact us for more information at marketing@castlemalting.com .