California Wheat Commision
Laboratory Director Claudia Carter at California Wheat Commission working in laboratory.

Technical and Laboratory Services

The California Wheat Commission wheat quality laboratory was built in 1990. Today, this laboratory has the equipment necessary for evaluation of wheat and durum milling quality, chemical analysis of wheat and flour, physical dough testing, semolina analysis, bake and noodle production tests, and pasta analysis. The laboratory and its staff have gained respect in the domestic and international marketplace as a premiere source of technical information and assistance. The California Wheat Commission is available to work for customers in the area of quality assurance, problem solving, quality control training, and research.

Pup loaves made out of bread in the milling and baking laboratory.
Customer Assistance & Support

• The Commission is available to answer technical questions about California's wheat quality, including recommendations for blending and appropriate end-use.

• Upon agreement by the seller and the buyer, the Commission will conduct vessel surveys either on-site or through quality testing in its laboratory.

• The Commission conducts training programs in milling, baking, semolina, pasta, and quality control. In addition to the standard training programs, specific programs may be customized to meet the customer's needs. The Commission is currently staffed with English and Spanish speaking technicians.

Crop and Export Survey
California produces five classes of wheat: Hard Red Winter (HRW), Durum, Hard White (HWW), Hard Red Spring (HRS), and Soft White Wheat. HRW, HWW, and Durum are the predominately produced and exported classes; the Commission focuses on these classes in its testing and crop quality reporting. Every effort is made to provide an accurate assessment of quality to buyers. With greater interest in buying wheat by variety, varietal specific information is emphasized in Commission surveys.

Research
The Commission laboratory is available for flour, semolina, milling, end-product, and new-product research. Technical expertise is available in hearth breads, pasta, Asian food products, standard loaf bread, and cookies. Tortillas and middle-eastern flat breads are also fast-becoming an area of interest.

Private and Public Breeding Programs
Private and public breeding programs play an important role in the development of new varieties available to California wheat producers. The Commission analyzes over 1,000 samples each year to support these programs and encourages the release of new varieties that will meet the customers' needs.

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