Production of gluten
The essence of the deep processing of cereal crops lies in the separation of grains into more valuable (from an economic standpoint) components that have higher added value and are mainly used in the food and animal feed industries. The technology for obtaining grain products has similar initial stages: grain cleaning, grain surface preparation, grinding without product separation, and then individual technological stages for each product. An example of a product from the deep processing of grains is gluten.
Gluten is a protein found in corn, wheat, rye, and barley. It consists of two fractions: gliadin and glutenin. Gliadin has hydrophilic properties, while glutenin is hydrophobic. When flour is kneaded into dough, these fractions interact with each other, forming a sticky mass. This mass is called gluten.
Gluten is one of the most important components of bakery flour. It is responsible for the stickiness, elasticity, and resilience of the dough. Gluten also gives bread its characteristic taste and aroma.
The technological process of deep processing of grains, for example, to obtain dry gluten, includes the following operations:
- Grain cleaning to remove impurities.
- Grain drying.
- Sorting and storage.
- Grain surface cleaning to remove external husks.
- Grinding of the grains.
- Mixing the ground grains with water to form a suspension.
- Separation of the suspension into fractions:
- Fraction 1: Starch A.
- Fraction 2: Starch B + gluten.
- Fraction 3: Light fraction consisting of water and pentosans.
- Washing and thickening of Starch A from the first fraction.
- Drying and desiccation of Starch A.
- Filtration/washing and drying of gluten from the second fraction.
- Drying and packaging of gluten.
This technology is characterized by high efficiency, low energy and water consumption, and rapid adaptation to different qualities of flour.
Fundamental scheme of the technological process of deep grain processing for gluten production.
The gluten market in Ukraine is quite promising. This is due to the significant production of grains in Ukraine, which serve as raw material for gluten production. Additionally, there is a large number of enterprises in Ukraine that utilize gluten in their production.
In the coming years, gluten production in Ukraine is expected to increase. This is driven by the following factors:
- Growing demand for gluten-free products.
- Increased production of bakery products containing gluten.
- Expansion of meat and meat products containing gluten.
The prospects for gluten production in the Ukrainian market are very promising. Consumers are increasingly interested in healthy lifestyles, including balanced nutrition and adherence to personal diets. Gluten is widely used in vegetarian and vegan cuisine as an alternative source of protein. It is also popular among people with celiac disease or other food allergies, as it can replace wheat gluten in gluten-free products.
Ukraine, with its significant agricultural resources and large production of grain crops, has the potential to become an important gluten producer. This can contribute to the development of agriculture, the creation of new jobs, and an increase in export potential.
