Q&A with Cereal & Malt

The use of malt extract syrup in cereals, sauces and even in beer brewing is becoming increasingly popular in the local market. Tennille Aron recently spoke to Awie Griesel, managing director of Cereal & Malt, about this rising trend and how the company has grown to cater for it.

QCan you tell us a little about the production process behind creating malt extract syrup?

A: Malt extract syrup is manufactured by a process of malting, mashing which allows for the enzymes to breakdown the various starches that exist in the grain followed by filtration and evaporation. The resultant sugary liquid is concentrated into a viscous liquid providing a natural, non-diastatic sweetener with a high energy source consisting of maltose, protein and B-vitamins.

QCereal & Malt have been around since 1953? Tell us a bit about the 68 year history of the brand?

A: Cereal and Malt’s humble beginnings started off by manufacturing equipment for the processing, of ancient grains, for the brewing industry. This attracted food industries to request for malted barley. This steered us to supply the food industry with speciality ingredients, with malt extract syrup being our core product to this day. Cereal & Malt has certainly grown and expanded in the 68 years since it first started and now supplies malt extract syrup, malt extract powder and speciality flours' to the F&B Industry.

QCereal & Malt is the only company to manufacture and supply malt extract syrup to the South African market and into Africa. What is the importance of malt extract syrup and what applications is it used in?

A: Malt extract syrup and its derivative, malt extract powder are naturally sweet with a high source of B vitamins and proteins. Vitamin B3 is essential in lowering high levels of cholesterol. In the craft brewing industry, malt extract is used to reduce the brewing process of conventional beer manufacturing. Malt extract syrup is also used to enhance flavour in breakfast cereals and add colour to your morning fuel. The sweet flavour of the syrup can also be added to sauces and gravies, bringing out the mouthwatering taste of your next meal.

QWith people trying to cut down on their sugar intake, how can using malt extract syrup help in food production?

A: Due to the product being natural, with no additives, and made from ancient grains, malt extract syrup and malt extract powder can be used to boost cereal-based foods, including infant formula, biscuits and breads.

Breakfast cereals rely on malt extract to improve the natural flavours of the high fibre formulations.

In biscuit and cracker production, malt extract syrup and malt extract powder helps to improve the cutting and machining process as well as the smoothness and shine of the finished product.

QCan you tell us a little bit about the brand now and what we can expect in the future.

A: Cereal and Malt can provide speciality ingredients to add value to your products. With the advent of the sugar tax, the malt products are naturally sweet enabling the added benefits. Cereal and Malt can provide speciality ingredients to add value to your products. With the advent of the sugar tax, the malt products are naturally sweet enabling the added benefit of reducing or eliminating refined sugar in beverages as well as baked goods and breakfast cereals. With no additives introduced during the manufacturing process, the malt products add to a clean label as well as the added benefit of a high energy source with naturally occurring vitamins, maltose and protein. Our signature flour range; malted barley and barley flours help as substitute flours during baking as it contains lower calories than conventional flours. Barley flour contains beta-glucans, a type of soluble fibre that slows down the absorption of carbohydrates into the blood stream which helps to regulate the blood sugar and management of diabetes. Malt flour with its diastatic activity contains enzymes to breakdown complex sugars and starches that aid in yeast fermentation.

Our naturally gluten-free range of flours; rice, oats and sorghum are widely used in the breakfast cereal market, baked goods and in health drinks targeted for the health conscious.

We would like to introduce our two new exciting products under development

• Inulin, which is a prebiotic soluble fibre that has many health benefits. It aids in improving digestive health, helps in the control of diabetes as well as in the management of weight loss. Inulin is widely used in infant foods, snack bars and various other health products. We are looking forward to supplying this to the

F&B Industry. • Dark Malt Extract is made from 100% roasted malted barley grain that aids in natural colour and flavour to food and beverage products. •