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A local product that supports Canadian farmers, artisans and businesses, and reduces the pollution associated with long-distance transport.
Organic Hulless Barley (Naked)
Specifications (Tap to open):
Category:
Shelf Life:
Country of Origin:
Allergen Information (Tap to open):
We take your health and safety very seriously. If you have any allergen inquiries please Contact Us.
If an allergen is present in the product, it will be clearly declared in the ingredients.
"May Contain" statement NEW FOR 2025 (Progressive rollout):
- In 2025 we will be progressively updating our labels and product pictures with our new label that now include a "May Contain" statement.
- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) dictates that "Cross-contamination statements may be declared by food manufacturers and importers".
- That said, we hold ourselves to much higher standards than the CFIA and Health Canada rules oblige. Most companies do not and you will only rarely see "May Contain" statements.
- If there is a remote chance that there might be cross-contamination of a priority allergen, we will declare it on the product label in the form of a "May Contain" statement.
- A "May Contain" statement does not mean that the allergen is present in the product, it is simple a precautionary measure we take to stay the most transparent possible.
- If an allergen is present in the product, it will be clearly declared in the ingredients.
- For example our Quebec made flours come from a mill that makes both oat and wheat flours. Since both allergens are present in the mill we automatically declare the possibility of cross-contamination even if all precautionary measures are taken.
- Only priority allergens are declared in the "May Contain" statement, which are:
- Cereals & Grains: Triticale, Barley, Oats, Rye, Wheat.
- Tree Nuts: Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Macadamia Nuts, Pecans, Pine Nuts, Pistachios, Walnuts.
- Peanuts
- Sesame
- Eggs
- Milk
- Soy
- Mustard
- Fish
- Seafood: Crustaceans, Molluscs.
- Sulphites
- Priority allergens are decided by government agencies and health boards. To read more on the subject see "Common food allergens - Priority allergens" published by the CFIA.
- Full CFIA cross-contamination statement explanation "Food allergen cross-contamination (or precautionary) statements".
A local product that supports Canadian farmers, artisans and businesses, and reduces the pollution associated with long-distance transport.
Our organic hulless barley or naked barley is a rich source of B vitamins, including niacin, thiamin, and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6). It also contains beta-glucans, a type of fiber that scientists have linked to various health benefits.
It is important to note that barley will usually expand to three and a half times its volume when cooked.
Why is called naked barley?
- In normal barley the outer parts of the barley flower (pales) are "glued" to the grain as it develops. In naked barley the gene that controls the production of the "glue" is mutated and so the pales are only loosely wrapped around the grain, so they fall off easily.
- Genetic studies show that the mutation occurred on a single occasion around 8,000 years ago. The area of origin was probably modern Iran, but naked barley quickly spread throughout Europe, Asia and North Africa to become perhaps the most important cereal crop of the Neolithic and Bronze Age. The amazing implication of this is that all naked barley in the world today is descended from a few grains, saved from the grinding stone and sown the next season by an unknown Iranian farmer 8,000 years ago.
What is the difference between hulled, pot, pearled and naked barley?
- Hulled barley undergoes minimal mechanical processing to remove only the inedible outer shell, leaving the bran and germ intact.
- Naked barley is simply a barley variety that the husks naturally fall off. They do not need to be mechanically removed. It is a whole grain like hulled barley with the bran and germ. Since it's hull is not present when stored in grain silos it tends to be less shelf stable. This is the ideal type of barley to sow or to sprout.
- Pot barley starts off as hulled barley and is put inside a polishing machine. The machine strips off some of the outer bran but not all. It is in between hulled and pearled barley.
- Pearled barley goes through the same process as pot parley but is left inside the machine longer until all the bran is stripped away. It is more soft and neutral tasting but this process strips some of the nutrients.
General Storage Tips:
