BRS 015 White Farináceo corn still has potential for baking with a focus on audiences with restricted gluten consumption, since corn grains do not contain this substance. The new cereal will be launched by Embrapa Clima Temperado (RS) on August 29th, during Expointer, in Esteio (RS).
Due to its composition, the variety has flour with a smaller particle size – that is, finer – than those obtained from traditional corn varieties. The better grinding performance compared to these varieties can also result in a starch extraction yield of 40%, which helps to provide structure and make dough softer. This content helps to compensate for the absence of gluten, responsible for giving structure and making the dough softer.
Another highlight is the color of the grain, which, even when whole, produces white flour. This, added to the low particle size, results in breads and biscuits similar to those obtained from wheat. “When we make bread with white corn flour, it looks more beautiful and the dough is more cohesive. It doesn't crumble. Generally, yellow corn does not provide a good characteristic for the cohesiveness of bread", explains researcher from the Food Center at Embrapa Clima Temperado Ana Cristina Krolow.
Comparisons with a variety of commercial corn carried out at Embrapa Agroindústria de Alimentos (RJ), where the cereal was transformed into cornmeal and flour, indicate, in fact, that the new flour corn is softer, more easily crushed and, therefore, produces more flour, being less sandy in texture. According to an assessment by researcher Rogério Germani, the indication is for adding to bread, cookies and cakes, but not for the production of snacks, which require thicker material. Furthermore, the material is easier to cook, with a more viscous gel after cooling.
Currently, wheat flour is the most used in baking in Brazil. According to the Brazilian Wheat Industry Association (Abitrigo), national flour production in the country in 2018 was 9,1 million tons and the average consumption per person was 45,6 kg. But the presence of gluten makes it unfeasible for the approximately two million Brazilians affected by celiac disease to consume it, according to data from the National Federation of Celiac Associations in Brazil (Fenacelbra).
Therefore, researchers see the new material as a market opportunity. "Our objective is to make the material available to family farmers and enter niche markets, mainly for celiacs or people on a diet with less gluten", declares one of the researchers responsible for the cultivar, Éberson Eicholz.
Physicochemical analyzes of the grain, which indicate its composition, were also carried out in Embrapa laboratories, where the moisture, fiber, fat, protein and mineral contents were evaluated. According to Ana Cristina, the variety had higher protein and mineral levels – such as copper, manganese, iron and zinc – than traditional corn.
A 100g slice of bread made from flour obtained from the variety corresponds to 31% of the iron intake needs according to the Recommended Daily Intake table for adults (IDR) from the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa). "This is a good result for this corn, considering that other yellow corns do not have such a high concentration of iron", he states.
The results also indicate that 100g of this grain corresponds to 2,8% of the intake needs of calcium, 106% of magnesium, 12% of phosphorus, 41% of manganese and 22% of copper. And its protein, fat and crude fiber contents correspond to 12%, 8% and 11% of the recommended daily needs for healthy adults, respectively.
The suggestion is that, from the BRS 015FB grains, wholemeal flour be produced, so that it incorporates the natural corn oils – fats considered good and responsible for the proper functioning of the body.
BRS 015 Farináceo Branco corn standardizes a creole variety cultivated and maintained by family farmers in the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul. They are low plants, just over two meters tall, which makes harvesting and management easier. The average production is five thousand kilos per hectare, with one ear per plant. "It ends up being more efficient because there is greater production directed to the cob", explains Eicholz.
Despite being smaller and producing less than traditional corn varieties, BRS 015 Farináceo Branco has the distinction of appealing to a niche, which tends to increase its market value. The intention of Cooperativa União, from Canguçu (RS), one of the licensees for seed production, is to sell seeds and flour that are 30% more expensive than the others.
“We intend to add value to farmers’ production, bringing corn, industrializing it and providing our consumers with a differentiated product. In addition to flour, we intend to encourage the production of seeds, selling at a higher value than the other native seeds that we already produced", reveals the entity's president, Fabris Prestes.
According to Embrapa researcher Sérgio dos Anjos, who began work on improving this material at the end of the 1990s, the focus was precisely this. "When compared [to other cereals], flour corn does not have high productivity. But what is emphasized is the special products for which they are intended, such as gluten-free flour, green corn and even gluten-free pasta, which was one of the proposals of our work at the time", he says.
Given its appeal to a public concerned about health issues, the variety is also suitable for organic production. “It has been evaluated in organic production for a few years and has shown good productivity. The interesting thing is to add value to the flour by introducing it into the organic system", adds Eicholz.
Agronomically, the cycle until the so-called bolting, when the first ears appear, is early. It takes around 70 days. From there, it's another 50 to fill the grains. In total, there are 120 days for complete maturation after planting, when the harvest takes place. Furthermore, the cultivar is open pollinated (varietal), allowing replanting in the next harvests without the need to purchase new seeds. This reduces costs and gives farmers more independence.
The quality of the grain also makes the variety suitable for green corn production. Therefore, when corn is harvested and prepared before maturation, the grains have a sweeter flavor. In Rio Grande do Sul, where the cultivar is adapted and recommended, planting takes place from September to December, and harvest from January to April.
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