EP61: Planting a Love of Cereal Science

BAKED in Science

Flour is at the heart of so many baked goods, so it’s no surprise that wheat is a passionate subject for many bakers and food professionals. For Claudia Carter, that passion has not only driven her career, but inspired her to share it with the next generation. In this episode of BAKED in Science, your host Mark Floerke is joined by Claudia Carter, the Executive Director of the California Wheat Commission(CWC). While studying food sciences, she developed a passion for understanding the quality of wheat and its many varieties. This led to her obtaining a Master of Science in cereal sciences. She first joined the CWC in 2014 as a lab director to take care of flour quality testing, and was promoted to director in 2016. Now, she helps educate millers and bakers on the specific benefits and unique features of California-grown wheat. Over the last few years, she has run an educational program with local elementary students. Claudia shares how the program helps teach children the way food is processed and introduces them to the possibilities of agricultural sciences. The program allows students to get hands-on experience with: - Growing, harvesting, and milling wheat - Quality testing equipment such as the alveograph and farinograph - Extruding dough and baking pasta, bread and tortillas Mark and Claudia talk all about grain, milling, and how to reach and support the next generation of food scientists. Learn more about: Wheat: https://bakerpedia.com/ingredients/wheat/ Milling: https://bakerpedia.com/processes/milling/