Conducting Research with Wheat Marketing Center
Contact WMC
If you would like to make a research inquiry, please fill out the form to the right; WMC will respond after reviewing and evaluating your inquiry. If you have any immediate questions, contact WMC Technical Director Dr. Jayne Bock at jbock@wmcinc.org.
Wheat Marketing Center (WMC) frequently engages with customers across a wide range of public and proprietary research activities. Our research capabilities include:
- Wheat quality testing
- Includes limited varietal testing for early generation breeding lines all the way to commercial varieties with unique functional characteristics. Can be added on to agronomic trials to assess the quality impact of management strategies.
- FGIS grading available on request.
- Milling and flour quality testing is available with sufficient sample size.
- Specialized tests available on request (e.g. PPO, Amylazyme testing, etc.)
- Flour quality testing
- Includes a range of activities from evaluating different wheat blends and mill stream analysis to assessing flour consistency issues and determining processing performance potential.
- Our analytical lab hosts a full complement of flour milling and quality testing equipment.
- Specialized tests (e.g. PPO, high protein SRC, etc.) available on request.
- End product quality testing
- Includes access to a full range of pilot scale equipment for cookies, crackers, noodles, tortillas, pan breads, hearth breads, flat breads, steamed breads, pizzas, bagels, and cakes.
- Processing parameters, formulations, and batch sizes can be adjusted.
- Dough handling properties and final product quality (e.g. volume, texture, pH, dimensions, etc.) can be assessed according to customer needs.
- Specialized products can be tested on request.
- Formulation and product development
- Milling and flour quality testing is available on request.
- Pilot scale processing equipment is available for a range of end products.
- WMC can host company staff or scientists for hands-on access to larger trials.
- WMC frequently partners with the Oregon State University Food Innovation Center (OSU FIC) for more extensive or specialized product development needs.
- WMC directs all sensory testing to OSU FIC.
- Ingredients and ingredient systems
- Pilot scale processing equipment is available for a range of end products.
- Ingredient consistency and performance can be measured at any point in the process.
- Company can define industry standards for performance comparison or inquire with WMC as to appropriate controls.
- Processing parameters, formulations, and batch sizes can be adjusted.
- Other activities on request
- Clearly define your research needs in the RFP form and WMC will work with you to develop a research proposal.
Research Project RFP Form
Current Research
Identifying Soft White Wheat Functional Characteristics for Saltine Crackers – Phase II
Funding Partners: Idaho Wheat Commission, Oregon Wheat Commission, Washington Grain Commission Project Summary In response to interest from customers in Latin America, WMC is working to identify soft white wheat functional characteristics for use in saltine crackers. This will focus on formulation and processing adjustments to improve Soft White Wheat cracker dough properties. Introduction Buyers and customers from Latin American reported that, when switching from soft red winter (SRW) to soft white wheat (SWH), they were uncertain of the appropriate protein specification to buy for their saltine cracker products. This served as the impetus for a SWH saltine cracker study [...]
Identifying Soft White Wheat Functional Characteristics for Saltine Crackers – Phase I
Funding Partners: Idaho Wheat Commission, Oregon Wheat Commission, Washington Grain Commission Project Summary In response to interest from customers in Latin America, WMC is working to identify soft white wheat functional characteristics for use in saltine crackers. This will focus on formulation and processing adjustments to improve Soft White Wheat cracker dough properties. Abstract Soft white (SW) wheat is well-suited for making a range of crackers and cookies, including saltine crackers. Identifying the SW wheat flour specifications and optimal grain protein level for saltine crackers is very important for customers making procurement decisions. To identify the optimum wheat protein level, [...]