Role of Damaged Starch in the Evaluation of Wheat Quality

Abstract

THE introduction of test baking as a means of quality evaluation in the wheat-breeding programme of the Agricultural Research Institute, Wagga, has disclosed a characteristic which does not appear to have been reported in Australian wheats, namely, differential susceptibility of varieties to excessive starch damage during milling. This has been confirmed by microscopic examination with differential staining as used by Jones¹. Trials by experienced technicians using different experimental mills showed that, with certain wheats, excessive starch damage could not be avoided. In the test-bake, this excessive proportion of damaged starch led to high water absorption, poor loaf volume and crumb texture on the basic test, and ‘stickiness’ in doughs containing diastatic malt.