From Ag Innovation Ontario, the story of the Spruits, local producers who turn grains into superfoods:
…Last year, they grew 26 acres of heritage grains and are especially excited about two of them. The first is a hull-less barley, developed in Canada, which has half of the gluten found in wheat and high levels of beta-glucan fibre, vitamins and minerals.
The second is a non-GMO purple corn with origins in ancient Peru. When ground, it produces whole grain flour that is both a gluten-free alternative to wheat and has double the antioxidants found in blueberries. Too often, she said, people with gluten allergies will turn to substitutions that have little nutritional value.
And just as unfortunate, she noted that “so many of the superfoods that people are buying are imported from other countries”. The grains that the Spruits produce solve both issues – superfoods with high nutritional values that are grown “right here at home”.
Four products – Purple Corn Flour, Purple Corn Meal, Beta-Glucan Barley Flour and Barley Berries – are available commercially. Spruit has been promoting the line within culinary and health networks, and many restaurants and bakeries in the Ottawa area are now incorporating the flour and corn meal into their products.