Malt and malt extracts in baking: diastatic vs. non-diastatic, enzymatic activity and crust colour

Six malt product formats side by side: pale diastatic malt flour, diastatic wheat malt flour, dark malted barley flour, roasted barley flour, malted wheat flakes, and dark liquid malt extract

What this article covers

This dossier explains what malt is, how it is made, and how to choose between the twelve malt-based products stocked by Domson. It is built on first-party spec sheets for each product and cross-checked against industry sources wherever possible.

The core distinction this article addresses is diastatic vs. non-diastatic malt — the single most important decision point when selecting a malt ingredient for a baking application. Diastatic malts contain active amylase enzymes that break down starch into fermentable sugars; non-diastatic malts have had their enzymes destroyed by heat and function purely as colour and flavour agents.

For the biochemistry of enzymes in baking more broadly, see the companion article A3-enzymes-in-baking. For bread improver formulation and how malt fits into a compound improver, see A3-bread-improvers-overview. For crust colour development chemistry, see A5-crust-colour-maillard-caramelisation.

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1. What malt is

Malt is grain — almost always barley or wheat — that has been deliberately germinated (sprouted) under controlled conditions and then dried (kilned). The purpose of germination is to activate enzymes inside the grain, primarily alpha-amylase and beta-amylase, which begin breaking down the grain's starch and protein reserves to feed the growing seedling. The kilning step stops germination and fixes the enzyme activity level, flavour, and colour in the finished product.

In baking, malt serves three overlapping functions depending on the product chosen:

1. Enzymatic function (diastatic malt only): Alpha- and beta-amylase enzymes in diastatic malt break down damaged starch in flour into maltose and other fermentable sugars. This feeds yeast more effectively, improves fermentation, and increases the pool of reducing sugars available for Maillard browning.
2. Colour function: Malt contributes colour to bread crust via the sugars it supplies to the Maillard reaction and caramelisation. Dark malts and liquid extracts provide very large amounts of pre-formed reducing sugars and colour compounds.
3. Flavour function: Malt provides characteristic sweet, toasted, and — in fermented rye malts — sourdough-adjacent flavour notes that define the taste profile of malted bread, dark rye bread, and malt-flavoured morning goods.

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2. The malting process

Malting process diagram showing steeping, germination, and kilning stages, with a branch distinguishing pale diastatic malt from dark non-diastatic roasted malt

Understanding the malting process is essential to understanding why some malts are diastatic and others are not.

Step 1: Steeping

Cleaned barley or wheat grain is soaked in water for 24–48 hours (depending on grain and target moisture). The grain's moisture content rises from approximately 12% (dry) to 42–46% (ready to germinate).

Step 2: Germination (malting floor)

The steeped grain is spread on a germination floor or placed in a rotating drum and kept at approximately 13–17°C for 4–6 days. As the seedling begins to grow, the grain produces enzymes:

• Alpha-amylase (endoamylase): Attacks starch chains at internal bonds, producing shorter dextrin fragments. Activity is expressed as Dextrinising Units (DU) or as part of the overall Diastatic Power (DP).
• Beta-amylase (exoamylase): Works from the chain ends, releasing maltose — the primary fermentable sugar for baker's yeast.
• Proteases: Begin breaking down storage proteins, making nitrogen more available and beginning gluten modification.

At peak germination, the grain has its highest enzyme content. The moment to stop germination is controlled by the maltster to target a specific enzyme activity level.

Step 3: Kilning — the fork between diastatic and non-diastatic

The germinated grain (green malt) is dried in a kiln. This is the point where diastatic and non-diastatic malts diverge:

Pale kilning (diastatic malt): At low kiln temperatures — typically 50–80°C — the grain is gently dried over 24–36 hours. Moisture falls to 4–6%. At these temperatures, the amylase enzymes survive in an active form. The finished malt is pale in colour (3–45 °EBC range, depending on degree of kilning) and carries the enzymatic activity that makes it "diastatic."

High-temperature roasting (non-diastatic malt): When kilning temperatures exceed approximately 100–150°C and above (with some roasters reaching 150–220°C+), amylase enzymes are irreversibly denatured. No enzyme activity survives. The Maillard reaction and caramelisation react the grain's sugars and amino acids intensively, developing dark colour compounds and a roasted, complex flavour profile. The finished malt is dark amber to almost-black.

Fermented rye malt (non-diastatic, special case): The Lithuanian Dark Rye Malt in the Domson catalogue is produced by a traditional Baltic method: rye grain is steeped, germinated, then fermented (acidified by lactic acid bacteria) before gradual roasting. This is the process used for Brottrunk-style rye malts and gives the product its characteristic fermented, slightly sour note alongside deep colour. The Forbake spec confirms diastatic power = 0 (measured per EBC Analytica 4.12), meaning all enzyme activity is destroyed by the combined fermentation and roasting process.

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3. Diastatic vs. non-diastatic: the decision that matters

The most important decision when selecting a malt product is whether you need enzymatic activity (diastatic) or only colour and flavour (non-diastatic). These are not interchangeable:

The over-dosage trap

Diastatic malt is an enzyme supplement. Too little has little effect; too much causes serious dough faults. Over-dosage of diastatic malt produces excessive starch degradation, generating large amounts of liquid dextrin that cannot contribute to crumb structure. The result is a sticky, gummy crumb that feels underbaked even after full baking time.

Non-diastatic malt does not carry this risk to crumb structure, though excessive dosages of any malt product will produce over-coloured crusts and off-flavours.

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4. Diastatic power and EBC colour

Diastatic power

Diastatic power (DP) is the measure of total amylolytic enzyme activity in a malt product. In the UK and Europe, it is commonly expressed in degrees Lintner (°L) or degrees IOB (°IOB — Institute of Brewing). The Domson catalogue EDME spec sheets use °IOB.

From the first-party spec sheets of diastatic products in the catalogue:

Note on Hagberg Falling Number (HFN): For the Malted Wheat Flakes, diastatic activity is expressed as Hagberg Falling Number rather than °IOB. HFN is an indirect measure of alpha-amylase activity: a sample is heated in water and the time for a plunger to fall through the starch paste is measured in seconds. A lower HFN means more alpha-amylase activity (the enzyme thins the paste faster). A normal bread flour might have HFN 250–300; the malted wheat flakes at HFN 100–999 (target 120) are at the high-enzyme end of the scale, confirming active enzyme presence.

EBC colour

EBC (European Brewery Convention) colour is the standard measurement of malt colour. For dry malt products, EBC is measured on a standardised diluted wort prepared from the malt sample. The colour is read in units (°EBC) using a spectrophotometer; low numbers = pale, high numbers = dark.

Horizontal EBC colour scale for malt products, from pale ivory (3 EBC) through amber, dark brown to almost-black liquid extract (7500+ EBC), with product labels at key colour positions

Important: liquid extract EBC values are not comparable to dry malt EBC values. The liquid extracts in the Domson catalogue (ULDO T/31, Bakels Dark Rye Malt Extract 8000) have stated EBC values of 7500–8500. These values are measured on the concentrated liquid extract itself, not on a diluted wort. They cannot be placed on the same numerical scale as dry malt powder EBC values — the measurement conventions are different. When using liquid extracts for colour, judge the result by the finished bread crust, not by trying to compare the 7500 EBC figure to a dry malt's 250 EBC.

EBC colour by product group (dry products, measured on wort):

• 3–8 °EBC: Very pale. EDME HDA White Bread Malt Flour 5600. Highest enzyme activity.
• 15–30 °EBC: Light. EDME SDM Medium Extract (spray-dried powder). Non-diastatic (spray-drying inactivates enzymes).
• 18–45 °EBC: Light-medium. EDME Dextramalt 5900. Diastatic.
• 25–75 °EBC: Medium amber. EDME Malted Wheat Flakes 6600. Some diastatic activity.
• 200–280 °EBC: Dark. EDME Maltone Dark Malt Powder 5905. Non-diastatic.
• 250 ± 40 EBCU: Dark rye. Lithuanian Dark Rye Malt. Non-diastatic (DP = 0).
• 1000–1350 °EBC: Very dark. EDME Dark Malt Flour 5700. Roasted barley, non-diastatic.

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5. Maillard reaction and crust colour

Two bread loaves cut in half showing the difference in crust colour between bread made without malt (pale crust) and bread with diastatic malt added (deep golden-brown crust), illustrating the Maillard reaction effect

The Maillard reaction is the main chemical process responsible for golden-to-brown crust colour (and for a large proportion of crust flavour) in bread. It is a non-enzymatic browning reaction between reducing sugars and amino acids at elevated temperatures.

The reaction proceeds at the bread surface as the oven temperature rises. It begins significantly above approximately 120°C and proceeds most rapidly at 150–160°C under normal bread-baking conditions.

How malt amplifies Maillard browning:

Diastatic malt adds alpha- and beta-amylase enzymes to the dough. During mixing and fermentation, these enzymes attack damaged starch in the flour, releasing maltose and other reducing sugars. By the time the dough enters the oven, it contains more reducing sugars than an unmalt-supplemented dough. These additional reducing sugars enter the Maillard reaction at the oven surface and produce deeper, richer crust colour and more complex flavour.

Non-diastatic malt and liquid extracts provide pre-formed reducing sugars directly — no enzyme activity is needed. The colour contribution is more direct and more predictable than from diastatic malt, but the profile is different: diastatic malt generates crust colour in concert with the specific flour composition and fermentation conditions, while dark liquid extracts have a more fixed colour contribution per gram added.

Note on enzyme inactivation during baking: Alpha-amylase and beta-amylase are denatured during baking as the internal dough temperature rises above approximately 70–75°C. Most enzyme activity ceases before crust temperatures reach the Maillard range. The enzyme's work — generating reducing sugars — is done during fermentation and the early oven stage; the Maillard reaction itself is a heat-driven chemical process, not an enzymatic one.

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6. Products in the Domson catalogue

6.1 Diastatic malt flours

EDME HDA White Bread Malt Flour 25 kg

The most enzymatically active malt product in the Domson catalogue.

• Form: Flour (roller-milled, malted barley)
• Origin: UK (EDME Limited, Mistley, Essex)
• Diastatic power: 165–220 °IOB (target 180 °IOB)
• DU (Dextrinising Units): 60–90 dry (target 70)
• EBC colour: 3–8 °EBC (target 4.75) — very pale
• Allergen: Cereal gluten from barley
• Certifications: Kosher (BRC supplier), Halal, BRC, FSSC 22000
• Application: White bread, rolls, soft bread. Used as a diastatic enzyme supplement. At DP 165–220 °IOB, this is a high-activity product — dosage must be controlled precisely.

⚠️ Dosage caution: Over-dosage produces sticky, gummy crumb and excessively dark crust. BAKERpedia guidance for diastatic malt in white pan bread is 0.5–1.5% on flour (single source, no independent cross-check for HDA 5600 specifically). Request application guidelines from EDME Ltd before first use.

EDME Dextramalt 25 kg

A diastatic malted wheat flour with moderate enzyme activity, delivering malt flavour and colour alongside enzymatic function.

• Form: Flour (roller-milled malted wheat)
• Origin: UK (EDME Limited)
• Grain: Wheat (malted)
• Diastatic power: 45–85 °IOB (target 65 °IOB)
• EBC colour: 18–45 °EBC (target 30) — light-medium, golden
• Allergen: Cereal gluten from wheat
• Certifications: Kosher (BRC supplier), Halal
• Application: Malted wheat bread, granary-style bread, rolls, brown bread. Dextramalt can be used at higher percentages (up to 10–15% partial flour replacement) for products where strong malt character is desired, with lower risk than HDA 5600 due to the lower DP.

Note for allergen management: Dextramalt is wheat-based (not barley). Formulations requiring barley-free products may substitute Dextramalt for HDA 5600. Formulations requiring wheat-free products cannot use Dextramalt.

EDME Malted Wheat Flakes 25 kg

Steamed and flaked malted wheat, used primarily as a visible grain inclusion with the secondary benefit of contributing some enzymatic activity to the dough.

• Form: Flakes (steamed, flaked whole malted wheat)
• Origin: UK (EDME Limited)
• Grain: Wheat (malted)
• Hagberg Falling Number: 100–999 (target 120) — confirms active enzyme presence
• Flake thickness: 1.0–1.75 mm
• EBC colour: 25–75 °EBC (target 50) — light amber
• Allergen: Cereal gluten from wheat
• Certifications: Kosher (BRC supplier), Halal
• Application: Grain bread toppings, inclusion in seeded or granary-style loaves. The flakes provide visual texture and malt character. The low Hagberg (HFN 100–999, target 120) confirms enzyme activity, but because flakes are not milled into the dough matrix, their enzymatic contribution to the dough is substantially lower than that of an equivalent weight of diastatic malt flour. Do not use malted wheat flakes as a substitute for diastatic malt flour where enzymatic boosting is the primary goal.

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6.2 Non-diastatic malt flours and powders

EDME SDM Medium Extract 25 kg

A spray-dried malt extract powder derived from barley malt. The spray-drying process uses high temperatures that inactivate amylase enzymes — this product functions as a sugar and flavour source, not as an enzyme supplement.

• Form: Powder (spray-dried extract)
• Grain: Barley malt
• EBC colour: 15–30 °EBC (target 22.5) — light to light-medium
• Refractometer solids: 95–98%
• pH: 5.0–5.8
• Sugar content: 81 g sugars per 100 g (from 90 g total carbohydrate per 100 g)
• Allergen: Cereal gluten from barley
• Certifications: Kosher (BRC supplier), Halal, FSSC 22000
• Application: Light malt extract for morning goods, white bread, biscuits, malt loaf. Provides sweetness and a light malt character. Use as a dry powder — easier to measure accurately than liquid extracts.

EDME Maltone Dark Malt Powder 25 kg

A dark malted barley flour (roller-milled). At 200–280 °EBC, this is a dark product where enzyme activity has been substantially or fully destroyed by the degree of kilning.

• Form: Flour (roller-milled malted barley)
• EBC colour: 200–280 °EBC (target 230) — dark amber/brown
• Diastatic: Non-diastatic at this colour level
• Allergen: Cereal gluten from barley
• Certifications: Kosher, Halal
• Application: Colouring and flavouring for dark bread, mixed grain bread, pumpernickel-style products. Provides genuine malt character at a darker colour level than Dextramalt, without the enzyme handling complexity.

EDME Dark Malt Flour 25 kg

A very dark roasted barley flour. At 1000–1350 °EBC, this is the darkest dry malt product in the Domson catalogue. No enzyme activity.

• Form: Flour (roller-milled roasted barley)
• EBC colour: 1000–1350 °EBC (target 1175) — very dark red-brown
• Diastatic: No — roasting at high temperature destroys all enzyme activity
• Allergen: Cereal gluten from barley
• Certifications: Kosher, Halal
• Application: Colouring dark breads and mixed grain breads. At this EBC level, small additions (1–3% flour) create significant colour depth. Too much produces an intensely bitter, almost burnt flavour.

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6.3 EDME Malt Cob Concentrate No.6 20 kg

A proprietary blend product combining malted wheat, wheat, wheat bran, and roasted barley. Proportions are not disclosed on the spec sheet.

• Form: Blended concentrate (flakes and flour mix)
• Grain: Malted wheat + wheat + wheat bran + roasted barley
• Diastatic: Mixed — the malted wheat component carries some enzyme activity; the roasted barley component is non-diastatic
• Allergen: Wheat and barley (both gluten sources present)
• Application: Ready-formulated malt bread concentrate. Use as a partial flour replacement at the ratio specified by EDME Ltd. Suitable for bakers who want a consistent dark malt bread product without individually weighing and combining multiple malt ingredients.

Note: Because exact component proportions are not disclosed, the EBC colour, diastatic power, and dosage for this product are not specifiable from the reviewed spec sheet. Contact EDME Ltd for full application guidance.

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6.4 Dark rye malt flour

Lithuanian Dark Rye Malt 25 kg

A traditional Baltic fermented and roasted rye malt flour produced by Forbake / Lietuviskas Salyklas in Lithuania.

Close-up of Lithuanian dark rye malt flour showing irregular brown granules, illustrating the malt flour's coarser particle texture compared to fine white flour

• Form: Flour (irregular grind, <400 µm particle size)
• Origin: Lithuania (Lietuviskas Salyklas UAB)
• Grain: Rye (malted, fermented, gradually roasted)
• EBC colour: 250 ± 40 EBCU
• Diastatic power: 0 (EBC Analytica 4.12 method) — non-diastatic
• pH (10% solution): 4.5 ± 0.5
• Dosage: 2–6% of flour weight
• Allergen: Rye (contains gluten from rye — the only allergen declared)
• Shelf life: 12 months (cool, dark, dry conditions)
• Application: Dark rye bread (Borodinsky, Riga, Baltic black bread), mixed grain breads, rye sourdough. This product gives the authentic fermented dark rye malt character that distinguishes Eastern European dark rye bread from simply darkened wheat bread. The fermentation step (before roasting) develops acidity and characteristic flavour compounds not present in un-fermented roasted malts.

⚠️ Spec date note: The Forbake spec sheet reviewed is dated 2015-03-15. Request a current spec before any customer-facing publication. Nutritional values and allergen declarations in particular require up-to-date documentation.

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6.5 Liquid malt extracts

Liquid malt extracts are produced by mashing malt in hot water (saccharification) and then concentrating the resulting wort under vacuum until a thick, viscous syrup is obtained. The high temperatures involved in production destroy amylase enzyme activity. All three liquid malt extracts in the Domson catalogue are therefore non-diastatic; they function as colourant, flavourant, and fermentable sugar sources.

Baker weighing dark liquid malt extract from a commercial canister onto a digital scale, showing the thick viscous consistency of the dark brown syrup

Handling note: All liquid malt extracts are viscous and hygroscopic. At low temperatures they thicken significantly, making accurate dispensing difficult. Always dispense by weight on a tared digital scale. Never measure by volume (spoon or cup). Pre-dissolve in a portion of the dough water before adding to the dough. See the fault table below for handling-related fault diagnosis.

Rye Malt Extract T/31 ULDO Dark 14 kg

• Brand: ULDO Polska
• Ingredients: Barley malt, barley grain, water
• EBC colour: 7500–8500 (measured on concentrated liquid)
• Total extract: 74–76%
• pH: 3.8–4.5
• Specific weight: 1.3–1.4 kg/l
• Dosage: 0.5–5% of flour weight
• Energy: 278 kcal/100g
• Allergen: Barley (contains gluten from barley)
• Shelf life: 18 months (max 30°C, max 75% RH, sealed)
• Application: Colouring, aromatising, and flavouring dark rye, mixed, and wholemeal bread. Very dark extract — even low dosages (1–2%) produce significant colour contribution.

⚠️ Spec date note: The ULDO T/31 spec sheet reviewed is dated 2014. This is more than ten years old. Request a current spec before any customer-facing publication.

IREKS SOMEX Liquid Malt Extract 15 kg

• Brand: IREKS GmbH (Germany)
• Ingredients: Barley malt, water
• EBC colour: Not stated on spec sheet
• Solids (refractometer): 77.0–79.0%
• pH: 4.7–5.8 (10 g/200 ml solution)
• Specific weight: 1.25–1.52 kg/l
• Dosage: 1–3% of flour weight
• Energy: 290 kcal/100g
• Allergen: Barley (contains gluten from barley)
• Shelf life: Minimum 9 months (dry, cool)
• Application: Described on the spec as suitable for "wheat morning goods and coarse grain bread." This positions SOMEX as a lighter-register liquid extract compared to the dark rye extracts (ULDO T/31, Bakels 8000). Use for a subtle malt sweetness and light browning contribution to wheat rolls, baguettes, and similar products.

Bakels Dark Rye Malt Extract 8000 — 14 kg

• Brand: Bakels (Finland — Bakels Polska)
• Ingredients: Barley malt, water, rye malt
• EBC colour: 7500–8500 (measured on concentrated liquid)
• Solids: 74–76%
• pH: 3–5
• Specific weight: 1.3–1.4 g/ml
• Dosage: 10–70 g per kg flour (= 1–7%); typical usage 20–30 g/kg (2–3%)
• Energy: 261 kcal/100g
• Allergen: Barley AND Rye (both gluten-containing cereals present) ⚠️ food safety flag
• Shelf life: 18 months (sealed, max 25°C); after opening, store below 15°C
• Application: Described on spec as a natural alternative to caramel for colouring and flavouring dark rye bread, mixed bread, and wholegrain bread. Contains both barley and rye — note the dual allergen declaration.

Post-opening storage note: Bakels explicitly specifies below 15°C after opening. Do not store opened containers at ambient temperature.

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6.6 Blended malted flour

Maltster Malted Brown Flour 16 kg

A ready-to-use malted brown flour blend produced by Carr's Maldon Mill (UK). This is not a pure malt ingredient — it is a pre-mixed flour designed for direct use as the main flour in malted brown bread, replacing the baker's own blending of malt ingredients with plain flour.

• Brand: Carr's Maldon Mill (Maldon, Essex)
• Composition (stated on spec): Wheat flour 78.6%, malted wheat flakes 15.3%, malted barley flour 2.8%, wheat gluten 2.5%
• Protein: 12.6–13.2% ⚠️ The per-100g nutrition panel on the same spec declares 13.6 g protein, which lies outside this specification range. Clarification from Carr's Maldon Mill is required before publishing either figure.
• Diastatic: Partial — contains malted wheat flakes and malted barley flour, both of which carry some enzyme activity
• Allergen (intentional): Wheat (present; contains wheat gluten) ⚠️ food safety flag
• Allergen — CRITICAL INCONSISTENCY: The Carr's spec allergen section classifies barley as a supply chain contamination risk. However, the same spec's recipe breakdown lists Malted Barley Flour at 2.78% as a named intentional ingredient. Under UK Food Information Regulations 2014 / EU Regulation 1169/2011, barley is a cereal containing gluten and must be prominently declared when intentionally present — this cannot be reduced to a 'may contain' cross-contact statement. This inconsistency may be an allergen labelling error within the spec itself. Expert allergen specialist review is required before this product is listed or marketed. Soy is also listed as a supply chain contamination risk and must be assessed for 'may contain' labelling separately. ⚠️ food safety flag
• Shelf life: 6 months from packing (ambient conditions)
• UK flour fortification: Fortified per UK regulations (calcium, iron, niacin, thiamine)
• Certifications: NOT Kosher, NOT Halal
• Application: Straight drop-in replacement for brown bread flour in malted brown loaves. The pre-mixed format ensures consistency without the need to separately weigh and blend malt flours, flakes, and gluten. Use in standard brown bread formulas.

⚠️ CRITICAL allergen note: The Carr's spec allergen section describes barley as a supply chain contamination risk; however, Malted Barley Flour is listed as an intentional ingredient at 2.78% in the recipe breakdown on the same spec. Barley as an intentional ingredient must be declared prominently under UK Food Information Regulations 2014 / EU Regulation 1169/2011 — it cannot be treated as a 'may contain' cross-contact disclosure. This inconsistency may be a labelling error in the Carr's spec and must be resolved by an allergen specialist before any customer-facing use or labelling. Soy cross-contact (supply chain) is a separate 'may contain' risk that also requires formal allergen risk assessment.

⚠️ Kosher/Halal: This product is confirmed NOT Kosher and NOT Halal certified on the spec sheet reviewed. Do not sell to customers requiring Kosher or Halal compliance.

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7. Choosing the right malt product: application guide

Dark rye bread (Borodinsky, Baltic black bread, dark mixed bread)

Use Lithuanian Dark Rye Malt (2–6% on flour) as the primary malt flour — it provides the authentic fermented, gradually roasted rye malt character. Combine with Bakels Dark Rye Malt Extract 8000 (2–3%) or ULDO T/31 (1–3%) for additional crust colour and malt intensity. Neither product is diastatic; the dough's fermentation is handled by rye sourdough.

Malted wheat bread (granary-style, Hovis-style, British malted brown)

For a straightforward malted brown loaf, use Maltster Malted Brown Flour (Carr's) as a direct flour replacement. For custom formulas, blend strong white flour with EDME Dextramalt (10–15%) for malt flavour and moderate enzyme activity, and EDME Malted Wheat Flakes (3–5%) for visual texture and bite.

White bread enzyme supplementation

When flour has low natural enzyme activity (high Hagberg, poor fermentation, pale crust), add EDME HDA White Bread Malt Flour 5600 at a low dosage (typically 0.5–1.5% on flour for white pan bread — single source: BAKERpedia; no independent cross-check for HDA 5600 specifically; verify with EDME before first use). This is the highest-DP product in the catalogue; precision weighing is essential.

Wheat morning goods (rolls, baguettes)

IREKS SOMEX at 1–2% on flour provides a light malt sweetness and a subtle browning contribution appropriate for white wheat morning goods where malt is a background note, not the defining flavour.

Dark bread colouring without fermentation effects

EDME Dark Malt Flour 5700 (1–3% on flour) or EDME Maltone 5905 (2–5%) add dark colour without any enzymatic risk. Both are roller-milled non-diastatic barley malts. Use EDME Maltone for a dark amber colour (200–280 EBC); use EDME Dark Malt Flour 5700 for a very dark red-brown (1000–1350 EBC).

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8. Allergen summary

All twelve malt products in the Domson catalogue contain gluten from cereal sources. This is the fundamental limitation of malt in baking: malt is cereal-derived and cannot be used in gluten-free formulations.

The gluten source varies by product:

⚠️ CRITICAL — Maltster Malted Brown Flour: the Carr's spec allergen section classifies barley as a supply chain contamination risk, but Malted Barley Flour is listed as an intentional recipe ingredient at 2.78% in the same spec's recipe breakdown. An intentional barley ingredient requires prominent labelling under UK FIR / EU 1169/2011 — not merely a 'may contain' notice. This inconsistency may be a labelling error in the Carr's spec. Expert allergen review is required before any customer-facing use or labelling. Soy cross-contact (supply chain) also requires formal 'may contain' risk assessment.

See the table below for the full product-by-product allergen matrix.

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9. Coverage notes and known gaps

Products with missing dosage information: The spec sheets for EDME HDA 5600, Dextramalt, SDM Medium Extract, Maltone, Dark Malt Flour, Malted Wheat Flakes, and Malt Cob Concentrate do not state a dosage range. Application guidance should be requested from EDME Limited (Mistley, Essex) before any dosage-related content is published.

Old spec sheets: Lithuanian Dark Rye Malt spec is dated 2015; ULDO T/31 spec is dated 2014.

EBC comparison caveat: The statement that liquid extract EBC values (7500–8500) are not directly comparable to dry malt EBC values is based on the known differences in EBC measurement methodology (concentrated liquid vs. wort dilution). No single source is cited for this methodological distinction in the spec sheets reviewed. It is stated as qualitative guidance.

Diastatic power for liquid extracts: None of the three liquid malt extracts (ULDO, IREKS SOMEX, Bakels) provides diastatic power data on the reviewed spec sheets. Their non-diastatic status is inferred from product description (colourant/flavourant function) and from the general principle that hot-water mashing plus vacuum concentration inactivates amylase enzymes. No analytical confirmation from the spec sheets is available.

EDME Malt Cob Concentrate No.6 — composition not fully disclosed: Proportions of the four components (malted wheat, wheat, wheat bran, roasted barley) are not given on the reviewed spec. EBC colour, diastatic power, and dosage cannot be stated without contacting EDME.

Languages: This article is currently available in English only. Polish, Turkish, Arabic, Romanian, Lithuanian, and Bulgarian translations are pending. Lithuanian translation may be of particular value given the Lithuanian Dark Rye Malt product (Forbake).

Regulatory note on malt ingredients: Malt flour and malt extract are commonly used bread improver components regulated under EC Regulation 1333/2008 (EU) and the UK Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 / UK Food Additives Regulations. In most applications they are used as food ingredients rather than additives and do not require E-number declaration. No regulatory flag has been raised by any supplier spec sheet reviewed for this article. However, this has not been independently verified.