Characteristics of spelt wheat products and nutritional value of spelt wheat-based bread

Spelt wheat cultivars (cv.) Hercule, Rouquin and Ostro, grown in the Alpine region of Italy, were compared to the common wheat cv. Manital and durum wheat Grazia for protein, ash and dietary fibre contents. The spelt wheat cultivars studied had higher contents of soluble dietary fibre and protein than the standard wheat or the durum wheat. In the bread of spelt wheat (cv. Hercule), there was mon rapidly digested starch (RDS) and a higher starch digestion index (SDI) in comparison to wheat bread. The bread made of whole spelt wheat flour (cv. Hercule) had less total starch, more resistant starch and less rapidly digested proteins in comparison to bread made of white spelt wheat flour and white wheat flour (cv. Manital). In pasta and extruded products of whole spelt flours, more protein, ash and dietary fibre was found in comparison to the same products made of white spelt wheat flour. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.