Dried distillers grain proposed for bread

The dried grain, left over after processing alcohol, contains 40 percent dietary fiber and 36 percent protein.

The nutritious product could be used to boost oven-baked flat breads such as naan and chapathies, which are especially popular in India, Afghanistan and Pakistan, said university scientist Sowmya Arra, whose idea won a $1,000 cash award at the Institute for Food Technologists Conference in Anaheim, California.

Dried distillers grain, used mostly now as livestock feed, also could be used used as a supplemental flour in cookies, tortillas and noodles, she said in a release Tuesday.

The challenge is to remove aroma of fermentation from the dried grain to produce a flour that is bland and color neutral, she said, noting the grain must be heated and placed in a vacuum chamber before being ground and sterilized.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International.