Barley β-glucans have been shown to be able to form gels at concentrations above 4%,when allowed to set for 24 h at room temperature.
The concentrations used in this study were lower: 0.55 and 0.48% in the sausages containing oat bran and barley fibre, respectively.
Oat β-glucans usually have a higher molecular weight than barley β-glucans and a lower tri- to
tetramer ratio, which might explain the better ability of oat bran to create a gel making it more suitable for incorporation in sausages.