While not a grain per se, flax—technically an oilseed—is becoming popular in whole-grain mixes. A key reason is nutrition. “The way we have explored some of the health benefits of flax, we’ve explored them almost as if it were a whole grain,” says Kelley C. Fitzpatrick, M.Sc., nutrition consultant, NutriTech Consulting, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Flax first gained favor as a vegetarian source of alpha linolenic acid, or ALA, the short-chain precursor to the long-chain omega-3s docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). But, she says, “we’ve gone beyond the omega-3s and we’re looking at the lignins, the antioxidants, as well as the fiber component. So, when we look at flax, we’re looking at it as a whole.”
In fact, Fitzpatrick says, most of the research on its nutritional merits concerns the whole seed. “As a nutritionist, I prefer to promote flax as the whole milled seed, because it’s a nice package. The components themselves work much more effectively when in synergy.” The whole seed is more stable, too. “It’s got a high level of oil—42%—and a high level of ALA, a highly oxidative fatty acid,” she says. “Mother Nature really packed that seed full of antioxidants to protect not only the oil, but that high level of omega-3.” Proper milling can preserve that stability while also producing versatile snack ingredients.
The specific properties of those ingredients “depend on the milling process itself,” Fitzpatrick says. “So, depending upon the food application and the way the formulator wants to work—be it for bakery, cereal, snacks—you can get all sorts of mill sizes and grind sizes. You may want a flour consistency, for example, for a beverage. Or you may want a much larger grind size for visual appeal, say for a corn chip or cracker, where you really want to bring out a whole-grain look.” Flax flour will contain more oil than most flours, and so “you are going to have a few more challenges with that oil. You’re going to be getting a little more stickiness,” she adds. Lowering the level of other fats in the formula helps. In the end, “Any snack food category can work with flax: popcorn, baked goods, it’s been around in bars forever. You name it, you’ll find flax,” she says.