U.S. International teams test drive United States wheat in Wheat Marketing Center 2003 courses

U.S. International teams test drive United States wheat in Wheat Marketing Center 2003 courses

Portland, OR (February 14, 2003) The Wheat Marketing Center (WMC) jump-starts the New Year with an exciting schedule of technical courses. Twelve international wheat industry teams from China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Malaysia, The Philippines, Latin America, Algeria, and the Middle East have signed up and are ready to test drive U.S. wheat.

Communicating across all these cultures and languages presents no problem for the Wheat Marketing Center's experienced multicultural technical staff, who speak English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Spanish, Catalan, French, German, and Sesotho. In courses that are customized to meet the needs of each team, participants will engage in collaborative, hands-on learning to try out different wheat classes, varieties and blends to see how they perform in an array of specific wheat-based products that are unique to each country. Also, participants will learn about wheat purchase specifications and the U. S. wheat marketing system. Courses have been arranged by U. S. Wheat Associates in collaboration with the Wheat Marketing Center.

The Philippines Asian Products Collaborative Noodle Team will test U. S. hard white and hard red wheats in Philippine-style instant fried noodles. This course will be held at Wheat Marketing Center, Portland from March 17-21, 2003.

The China Asian Products Collaborative Steamed Bread and Noodle Team will evaluate U. S. hard white wheat in Chinese-style steamed breads and noodles. The course is scheduled for the Wheat Marketing Center, Portland, from March 24 to 28, 2003.

A team from Korea will be at Wheat Marketing Center from April 7 to 11, 2003 to develop protocols for using U. S. hard and soft wheat flours in Korean steamed buns.

The Taiwan Hard White Wheat Milling and End Product Evaluation Team will do test milling of commercial hard white wheat on the Wheat Marketing Center's state-of-the-art Miag Pilot Mill and will then evaluate these flours for use in Chinese steamed breads and noodles. The dates of this course are April 16 to 25, 2003.

From May 12 to 16, 2003, a team of Chinese flour millers will attend the Contracting for Wheat Quality Workshop. The team will compare the quality of U. S. wheat to competitors' wheat in processing and finished product applications. They will also become familiar with the U. S. wheat marketing system and purchasing specifications as they learn how to maximize the value of wheat purchases to end-product needs.

An additional Contracting for Wheat Quality Workshop will be conducted for flour millers from Southeast Asia on July 23 to 30, 2003. This is the third time that this workshop has been offered to flour millers in this area of the world. Flour millers that participated in previous courses have dramatically increased purchases of U. S. wheat.

Two Asian Noodle Collaborative Teams will evaluate U. S. wheats at the Asian Noodle Technical and Development Center in Singapore. Wheat Marketing Center will assist in a Hokkien noodle course for Malaysia wheat buyers (June 2 to 6, 2003) and processors and Bamee noodle course for noodle makers from Thailand (June 9 to 13, 2003).

From June 23 to 27, 2003, the Korean Hard White Wheat Noodle Development Team will be at Wheat Marketing Center, Portland. Blends of U. S. hard and soft wheats will be evaluated in Korean-style instant fried noodles.

The Japan Hard White Wheat Promotion Team will return for the second time to Wheat Marketing Center. Last year the team tested U. S. hard white wheat in chukamen noodles and blends of hard and soft white wheats in udon noodles. Selected wheats and blends outperformed control flours that were milled from Australian wheats. This year the team will continue work on the use of U. S. wheats in these products.

During June 2003, the Wheat Marketing Center will host a team from Algeria that will focus on comparing U. S. wheat flours in breads, including baguettes. Mr. Roy Chung from U. S. Wheat Associates/Singapore will assist Wheat Marketing Center in developing protocols for the evaluation of U. S. wheats in high volume pan breads that are very popular in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

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