Barley cultivation generally performs well in Iceland, particularly in the South. Weather conditions vary between years, and some regions may experience barley that does not mature as well as expected. The aim of the project was to address whether value can be created from barley that has not reached full maturity. Innovation is needed to utilise this immature grain and prevent waste, so that farmers can generate some income.
Léttbygg er nýyrði sem verður notað fyrir bygg sem hefur ekki náð fullum þroska og hefur því lágt hlutfall sterkju en er aftur á móti trefjaríkt. Léttbygg inniheldur fleiri næringarefni eins og prótein og sykurtegundir. Fínmalað léttbygg getur nýst í matvæli eins og brauð og það getur opnað möguleika á merkingunni „trefjaríkt“ á umbúðum matvæla. Sýnt var fram á að hægt er að nota léttbygg í fóður mjólkurkúa en finna þarf hámark fyrir léttbyggið til þess að halda uppi ásættanlegu magni afurða. Mögulegt er að léttbygg geti skipt máli fyrir fæðuöryggi Íslands.
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Cereal cultivation generally performs well in Iceland, particularly in South Iceland. However, weather conditions vary considerably from year to year, and in some regions cereal crops may fail to reach full maturity as expected. The aim of this project was to investigate whether value could be created from grain that has not reached full maturity. Innovation is needed to utilize this immature grain, reduce waste, and provide farmers with an alternative source of income.
The term Léttbygg is introduced as a new term for barley that has not reached full maturity and therefore has a low starch content but is rich in dietary fibre. Léttbygg contains nutrients such as protein and sugars. Finely milled Léttbygg can be used in food products such as bread and may enable products to qualify for the nutrition claim „high in fibre“ on food packaging.
The project also demonstrated that Léttbygg can be incorporated into dairy cattle feed together with other grains. However, an optimal inclusion level must be determined to maintain acceptable milk production. Léttbygg may also have potential significance for Iceland’s food security.
