Interest in U.S. Wheat

Interest in U.S. Wheat fills Wheat Marketing Center's June;
reported to be busiest month in Center's 10-year history

PORTLAND, OR (August 10, 2002) -- "Technical team courses, including wheat and flour testing of wheat products and evaluations made June an activity-record-breaking month at the Wheat Marketing Center," Dr. David Shelton, executive director reported.

"We had teams from Taiwan, People's Republic of China, and Central and South America. Some 24 key people: flour millers, plant managers, quality control managers, production chiefs, and commercial managers made up the teams," Shelton said. U.S. Wheat Associates and the Wheat Marketing Center jointly organized the courses.

"Each team studied the flour formulations against their own control flours, processing and milling procedures, and wheat and flour quality data to compare 2001 U.S. wheat crop, including soft white, hard red spring, hard red winter, and hard white wheats.

"Depending on each team's particular interests, specific products were made right in Wheat Marketing Center facilities, then evaluated. These included Chinese instant fried noodles, Chinese raw noodles (white salted), and steamed breads with their individual protocols special to mainland China, Taiwan, and Central and South America," Shelton explained.

Asian food products specialist Dr. Gary Hou said the first group, a Steam Bread and Noodle Team from Taiwan was led by U.S. Wheat Associates technical marketing specialist Ron Lu.

"They are participants in the Asian Products Collaborative Study* (APC); this team selected U.S. hard white (HW) wheat for making Taiwan-type steam bread and Chinese raw noodles and then compared them against the control flour milled at the WMC from a commercial Australian hard (AH) wheat sent from Taiwan to match the team's specifications," Hou commented. (APC is a joint venture between U.S. Wheat Associates and the Wheat Marketing Center.)

Lu stated the tests were highly successful in that "more than 70 percent of hard white wheat tested performed similar to, or exceeded control samples. The team, composed of highly experienced professionals will take this knowledge back to Taiwan to teach younger managers and scientists entering the industry.

"Further, the results of our experience will be published in baking news publications in Taiwan showing how these flour millers and noodle manufacturers were brought to where the wheat samples and the facilities to test and evaluate procedures and protocols
are available at the Wheat Marketing Center.

"Taiwan is ready to buy. There will be a dramatic increase in demand for U.S. hard white wheat within the next few years," Lu concluded. Each year, Taiwan imports about one million metric tons of U.S. wheat. However, Australian, as well as Canadian wheat exporters have been very active in this market. In June, Taiwan purchased 30,000 metric tons (more than one million bushels) of Australian wheat for noodles and steamed breads.

U.S. wheat found to be acceptable for Taiwan steam bread or Chinese raw noodles included varieties from Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Kansas, and Washington.

"Of the one million metric tons of U.S. wheat exported annually to Taiwan, more than 60 percent of it is processed into noodles and steam breads. Taiwan flour millers are realizing U.S. hard white wheat has advantages in noodles and steam breads: those advantages include better color and color stability," Hou commented.

Dr. Andrew Ross, Oregon State University Wheat Quality Specialist, met with the team for their summary session and commented that "this is the most direct feed-back we can get from customers. It not only keeps us current with the market, but also keeps us up-to-speed on marketplace changes and developing trends. We will talk to wheat breeders about new developments and about what testing protocols to use when evaluating wheats for release to farmers.

"Early input is important to start new wheat varieties because it takes such a long time to develop those varieties," Ross said.

China Steam Bread Team

An eight-person steam bread protocol team from China evaluated 13 selected 2001 crop U.S. hard white (HW) and hard red (HR) wheats in Chinese steam breads during midmonth, Hou further reported.

Flour mill research & development, production director, deputy general managers, quality assurance supervisors, the Lab Director and an Instructor from the Sino-American Baking School comprised the team. Andy Zhao, Country Director, U.S. Wheat Associates' Beijing office, was the team leader

China's entry into the World Trade Organization this year allows more individual flour mills to become eligible to buy wheat on the international market. The nation continues to be a very large potential customer for U.S. wheat exports. Of the wheat grown or imported by China, more than 70 percent is used for Chinese noodles and steam breads.

After initial evaluations, the team compared U.S. wheat to a Chinese wheat sent to the Wheat Marketing Center from China. Additionally, they developed a new protocol for steam bread which has both desirable soft and chewy characteristics.

Wheats found acceptable for modified Chinese steam breads included Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

Hou noted that working closely with U.S. Wheat Associates, one aim of the APC program is to introduce and promote U.S. wheat to the Chinese milling industry and to provide the best possible technical service to them.

Asian Noodle Technology Short Course for Central & South American Team
provides ideas and new product information for markets of 163 million consumers

New products, new plants, new market opportunities, and increased competition sparked discussion during the summary session for the Central and South American Team concluding an Asian Noodle Technology Short Course at the Wheat Marketing Center the later part of June.

Ten participants, including general managers, production chiefs, directors and supervisors, plant managers, a commercial manager, and a quality control chief spent a full week studying Asian noodle formulations and processing technology. Specifically, they examined processing, production, and evaluation as well as wheat and flour quality data for Chinese instant fried noodles and Chinese raw noodles (white salted).

Wheat used for the Short Course included three different hard white varieties and one soft white wheat. Varieties were from Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Washington.

The team also evaluated commercial hard red spring and hard red winter wheat samples in noodle making.

Common among the participants was the need for new products, at economical prices to feed families and working people.

Asian style noodles are a relatively new product for their company in Mexico, one participant explained. They are looking to develop new products for their 100 million consumers. The instant noodle market is growing very rapidly.

Peru, with more than 27 million consumers, is seeing more and more Asian products in their marketplaces. To meet the new demand, a new plant is being planned. The plant's pasta products will help serve key export markets in Japan and Bolivia, as well.

The Guatemalan company represented is looking toward opening a new Chinese fried noodle and other pasta products plant with the next 15-months. The new plant will strengthen and expand their product line for their 12.6 million-consumer market and into other Caribbean and Central American markets.

From Ecuador, a company's commercial manager reported they have no Asian noodle plants but are examining the feasibility for a plant to meet the new demands of their 13 million consumers.

El Salvador pasta consumption is about two kilos per capita per year, serving a population of more than six million. Demands there echo trends throughout the region, if not the world: price, variety, and fast.

Costa Rica, with its nearly four million population, consumes about four kilos of pasta per capita per year. Instant noodles, Chinese noodles, and Ramen are beginning to be very popular and the flour mill's general manager reported his company is examining opportunities for participating more aggressively.

Course Director Hou concluded that "the markets represented by the team are growing, changing, being challenged by competition inside and outside of country borders. The team members were all eagerly anticipating the challenges. We, and U.S. Wheat Associates, are pleased to be able to bring them into our facilities where we can mill, blend, produce these Asian noodle products and then to evaluate the products for their market segments while adhering to strict protocols and tightly controlled research conditions."

"Thank you Wheat Marketing Center for teaching us how to make Asian noodles from U.S. wheat," Veronica Jiminez, a plant manager from Toluca, Mexico wrote to the Center staff following her return home.

(2.2 pounds per kilo)
(37 bushels per metric ton)

*The Asian Products Collaborative, started in 1995, is a project of U.S. Wheat Associates and the Wheat Marketing Center with objectives to:
(1) understand the Asian way of making and consuming noodles and other wheat products;
(2) develop standard protocols for formulation, process, and evaluation methods, and
(3) test new and existing hard white wheat varieties for use by Asian millers, noodle makers, and other food processors.

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