The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) has awarded a research grant of over $800,000 to develop a method for determining the amylase activity in wheat that can be used locally, without the costly equipment and specialized personnel currently required. The usual analysis method for determining alpha-amylase activity is based on the Falling Number or Hagberg Falling Number, which involves immersing a wheat flour and distilled water solution in a water bath near the boiling point, stirring the solution for 1 minute to facilitate starch gelation, and measuring the time it takes for a predetermined weight to pass through this gel. The higher the amylase activity, the faster the weight will pass through the gel, resulting in a lower Falling Number value.

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