Dry milling methods for preparing oat products enriched in the content of
.beta.-glucan and methods for preparing foodstuffs incorporating such an
enriched oat product especially ready-to-eat cereals are provided. Heat
conditioned dehulled oats are dry milled to form a coarse whole non
defatted oat flour and then, without a preceding removal of fat, dry
fractionated into coarser bran and finer oat flour fractions at multiple
stages. The coarse oat flour is first dry classified to separate or form
a coarser fraction oat bran containing more concentrated .beta.-glucan
and a finer oat flour or starch containing or endosperm containing
fraction. The oat bran is subjected to second and third rounds of milling
and classification to form a high .beta.-glucan content (>7-9%) oat
bran and a low .beta.-glucan content (3%) oat flour. The methods are low
cost and commercially practical. Preferably, the high .beta.-glucan
content oat bran and oat flour fractions can have a syringic acid to
ferulic acid ratio of at least 2.5:1 indicating improved flavor.
Preferably, the oat bran and oat flour have a Farinograph value of 5 to
20 minutes indicated partial gelatinization. The oat bran and oat flours
can be used to prepare foodstuffs such as ready-to-eat cereals.
