12/30/05 Barley foods can make health claim

Washington Ag December 30, 2005 If you are resolving to eat healthier in the new year you might want to try foods with barley in them. The Food and Drug Administration has published an interim rule approving the National Barley Foods Council's health claim that barley consumption can help reduce coronary heart disease by reducing blood cholesterol. Mary Sullivan is the executive administrator of the National Barley Foods Council as well as administrator of the Washington Barley Commission. Sullivan: "We will now be able to promote that as the National Barley Foods Council and will also allow manufacturers to produce products containing barley and they will be able to promote that it will lower blood cholesterol as long as it meets the guidelines of the FDA, which is .75 grams of beta glucans, or soluble fiber per serving." Oats has been able to make this health claim too but its beta glucans are found only in the bran while in barley they are throughout the kernal. Sullivan says that should lead to a variety of consumer food products with barley not just cereals. Hopefully it will also lead to food manufacturers contracting with producers to grow barleys high in beta glucans, which by the way are not desirable in the brewing process. If you are interested in some recipes using barley check out www.barleyfoods.org I'm Bob Hoff.