Comprehensive Review of the Quality and Processing Suitability of U.S. Hard Red Spring Wheat: Current Strategies, Challenges, and Future Potential Scope

Abstract

Hard red spring (HRS) wheat cultivated in the Northern Great Plains of the United States is often considered as premium-quality wheat because of its potential to produce high-quality end-products. The potential of HRS wheat mainly stems from its high protein and strong gluten contents, which make it a valuable ingredient for baking, especially specialized bakery products. It can also be blended with other wheat types for improved flour protein content and is well suited for sourdough, frozen dough, and clean-label baking. However, keeping its quality attributes consistent is often challenging due to the complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors in regulating them. This is further intensified by unpredictable weather events and pest infestations which cause a deterioration of quality. Although HRS wheat is widely used to improve the quality of end-products, comprehensive information about the scientific reasons behind these quality attributes is still lacking. This review summarizes scientific information regarding the unique quality attributes of hard red spring (HRS) wheat and its exclusive applications in the food industry, particularly for high-quality baking. It also identifies the challenges in upholding the standards of HRS wheat and discusses possible strategic approaches to further elevate its quality attributes. The insights gained from this review will be beneficial to a broad spectrum of stakeholders in the food industry, including bakers, millers, breeders, growers, and the scientific community.