General Mills IP Holdings Ii, LLC

General Mills, Inc.

John H Hellweg

John D McKeehen

Michael Dietsch

Daniel J Lewandowski

Merle K Larson

Dry milling methods for preparing oat products enriched in the content of &#x3b2;-glucan and methods for preparing foodstuffs incorporating such an enriched oat product especially ready-to-eat cereals are provided. Heat conditioned dehulled oats are dry milled to form a coarse whole non defatted oat flour and then, without a preceding removal of fat, dry fractionated into coarser bran and finer oat flour fractions at multiple stages. The coarse oat flour is first dry classified to separate or form a coarser fraction oat bran containing more concentrated &#x3b2;-glucan and a finer oat flour or starch containing or endosperm containing fraction. The oat bran is subjected to second and third rounds of milling and classification to form a high &#x3b2;-glucan content (&#x3e;7-9%) oat bran and a low &#x3b2;-glucan content (3%) oat flour. The oat bran and oat flours can be used to prepare foodstuffs such as ready-to-eat cereals.

Methods for preparing oat bran enriched in beta-glucan and oat products prepared therefrom

Methods for preparing oat bran enriched in &#x3b2;-glucan and oat products prepared therefrom

Dry milling methods for preparing oat products enriched in the content of &#x3b2;-glucan and methods for preparing foodstuffs incorporating such an enriched oat product especially ready-to-eat cereals are provided. Heat conditioned dehulled oats are dry milled to form a coarse whole non defatted oat flour and then, without a preceding removal of fat, dry fractionated into coarser bran and finer oat flour fractions at multiple stages. The coarse oat flour is first dry classified to separate or form a coarser fraction oat bran containing more concentrated &#x3b2;-glucan and a finer oat flour or starch containing or endosperm containing fraction. The oat bran is fractionated into a coarse and fine oat bran sub-streams. The oat bran sub-streams are each is subjected to second roller milling step and then bolted. The second bolting of oat bran is then subjected to a third round of milling and classification to form a high &#x3b2;-glucan content (&#x3e;7-9%) oat bran and a low &#x3b2;-glucan content (3%) oat flour. The methods are low cost and commercially practical. Preferably, the high &#x3b2;-glucan content oat bran and oat flour fractions can have a syringic acid to ferulic acid ratio of at least 2.5:1 indicating improved flavor. Preferably, the oat bran and oat flour have a Farinograph value of 5 to 20 minutes indicated partial gelatinization. The oat bran and oat flours can be used to prepare foodstuffs such as ready-to-eat cereals.

Dry milling methods for preparing oat products enriched in the content of &#x3b2;-glucan and methods for preparing foodstuffs incorporating such an enriched oat product especially ready-to-eat cereals are provided. Heat conditioned dehulled oats are dry milled to form a coarse whole non defatted oat flour and then, without a preceding removal of fat, dry fractionated into coarser bran and finer oat flour fractions at multiple stages. The coarse oat flour is first dry classified to separate or form a coarser fraction oat bran containing more concentrated &#x3b2;-glucan and a finer oat flour or starch containing or endosperm containing fraction. The oat bran is subjected to second and third rounds of milling and classification to form a high &#x3b2;-glucan content (&#x3e;7-9%) oat bran and a low &#x3b2;-glucan content (3%) oat flour. The methods are low cost and commercially practical. Preferably, the high &#x3b2;-glucan content oat bran and oat flour fractions can have a syringic acid to ferulic acid ratio of at least 2.5:1 indicating improved flavor. Preferably, the oat bran and oat flour have a Farinograph value of 5 to 20 minutes indicated partial gelatinization. The oat bran and oat flours can be used to prepare foodstuffs such as ready-to-eat cereals.

Improved conditioned whole grain oat flours are provided for the improved production of whole grain Ready-To-Eat breakfast cereals, especially puffed. Whole oat groats are steamed for greater times, dry toasted for extended times and milled to provide the present conditioned oat flour. The oat flours have minimal peroxidase activity and a ratio of the HPLC syringic acid peak to ferulic acid peak, of about .gtoreq.2.5 which ratio is characteristic of a toasted flavor attribute. The conditioned oat flour has a Farinograph cook or development time value of about five to 25 minutes indicating partial gelatinization or partial precooking. Employment of the specially conditioned oat flour allows for the production of cooked whole grain oat based cereal doughs having improved desired cooked cereal flavors in traditional extended cook time cereal cookers in reduced times thereby increasing production rates. Also, employment of the present oat flours allows for the production of puffed whole grain oat R-T-E cereals from short residence time cooker extruders which nonetheless have a cooked cereal grain flavor including even by direct expansion.

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Minnetonka, MN, United States of America

John H Hellweg