Common white oats, Avena sativa, are by far the most widely grown species. Oats are traditionally grown in moist, temperate regions.
Oat grain serves dual use as both a human food, chiefly as oatmeal or a component of breakfast cereal products, and as a high quality feed for horses and other livestock.
It has higher protein level among the cereal with 12 to 20% protein in the dehulled kernel and 9 to 15% in the whole grain, depending on genotype and environmental growth conditions.
Oats to be milled for human consumption should be plump, sound and free from heat damage, foreign odors, wild onion seed, smut, must and molds. Good quality oats are free form dust and are not dull colored.
Usually only grade 1 or grade 2 oats are accepted for food processing. Plumpness contributes to a good yield and desirable texture in the finished oatmeal. Grain plumpness and uniformity reducing the portion of small grains also improved milling productivity.
Heat or mold damage, or the presence of foreign materials, leads to off-color particles and off-flavors.
High quality oats grain for processing
