At the 2013 International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE®), Horizon Milling introduced sprouted white spring whole wheat flour to help bakers meet consumers' growing interest in alternative whole grain products while also achieving better bake performance.

"We know a progressive segment of whole grain consumers are very passionate about sprouted grains. That's what drew us to the space. Yet, our focus has been centered on elevating bake performance and believe the functional benefits that arise during sprouting will be what bakers are most excited about," said Nikki Cole, marketing manager at Horizon Milling. "As both consumers and bakers learn more, we expect the popularity of sprouted products to grow."

For bakers, Horizon Milling's sprouted white spring whole wheat flour performed better than its non-sprouted counterpart on several important baking measurements. First, it produced greater loaf volumes – 10-12 percent greater¹. Second, proofing times were reduced to a significant degree¹. Third and finally, farinograph results showed doughs made of 100 percent Horizon Milling's® sprouted white spring whole wheat flour tolerated abuse much longer than non-sprouted white spring whole wheat doughs¹.

For consumers, bread baked using Horizon Milling's sprouted whole wheat flour exhibited an elevated level of sweetness and a significantly decreased level of bitterness – two universal characteristics that drive liking and dislike, respectively, among consumers of whole wheat breads.²

Horizon Milling is the first miller with a national footprint to develop a proprietary process that enhances the functionality of the flour while applying the most stringent of safety standards to the process and the product.

Try a sprouted whole wheat flour breadstick prototype this week at IBIE. Visitors to the Cargill/Horizon Milling booth (#9114) can sample these great tasting breadsticks. Eight mini breadsticks deliver one and a half servings of whole grains, provides a good source of fiber, and meets USDA Smart Snacks in Schools and Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) standards for grain items.

1) Results based on Horizon Milling Bake Lab experimentation
2) Whole Wheat Drivers of Liking Central Location Test with Adults and Children (K-12), 2013. By: Horizon Milling & North Carolina State University.

About Cargill
Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 140,000 people in 65 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. For more information, visit Cargill.com and its news center.

About Horizon Milling, LLC

A leading U.S. flour miller, Horizon Milling, LLC is a joint venture between CHS Inc. (www.chsinc.com) and Cargill, Incorporated. Horizon Milling combines the expertise of a global food ingredients manufacturer with the supply assurance capabilities of a national, farmer-owned cooperative to provide customers with innovative, flour-related product and service solutions. For more information, visit http://www.horizonmilling.com.