Asian importers say U.S. buckwheat not O.K.

Asian importers say U.S. buckwheat not O.K. Asian importers of U.S. hard red winter wheat in two recent occasions have found trace amounts of commercial buckwheat mixed in their shipments, and they’re not happy about it, according to a report in Thursday's Wheat Letter, a weekly newsletter of U.S. Wheat Associates.
   While undesirable grains occasionally find their way into wheat shipments, the trade group warned that they can “create undesirable milling traits and cause issues with some specialty Asian food products.”
   U.S. Wheat Associates also asked companies involved in the grain supply chain to be extra careful to protect their wheat shipments against buckwheat and other loose grains, such as soybeans and sunflower seeds.
   “Producers, elevators and transportation providers are asked to be vigilant in cleaning equipment and storage units to ensure buckwheat and other commodities do not cross into wheat shipments,” the Wheat Letter report said.