| Abstract: | A proportion of the wheat samples tested for α-amylase activity by the Hagberg penetrometer method during the 1961 New Zealand harvest gave higher results on flours than on wheatmeals milled from the same wheats. This effect is due to the lower level of calcium available as enzyme cofactor in the meals, caused by combination with phytic acid. Because of this effect and because the internal distribution of α-amylase in wheat grains is variable, testing for sprout damage in milling wheat is best carried out on flours rather than wheatmeals. |
