Rice malt offers promise for new gluten-free products

Researchers in Italy have produced what they believe is a good quality gluten-free malt using rice instead of barley. They maintain the malted rice has appreciable sensory characteristics that could be used by the food industry to produce a number of products, including gluten-free beer and foodstuffs.

The researchers studied eight different rice varieties under a number of different malting conditions to come up with the best product. After initial trials in the laboratory, the most promising combinations were tested in a pilot plant. Results indicated the best malting conditions were germination for 7 days at 20 degrees Celsius.

The amount of fermentable sugar produced under these conditions was enough to allow a good fermentation and consequently the production of a beer-like beverage with a satisfying alcoholic content. However, the researchers noted that the viscosity of rice worts will negatively affect the lautering process and problems such as these would need to be overcome in order to produce the rice malt on a commercial scale.

Reference: Ceppi & Brenna 2010. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. DOI: 10.1021/jf904534q