Value Adding to Barley Byproducts: A Perspective of Bran and Husk in the Food Industry

Barley bran (BB) and barley husk (BH) are major byproducts of conventional barley grain processing, but they currently have limited value-added applications due to structural complexity, low nutritional bioavailability, processing challenges, and low consumer acceptance. This review summarizes their current utilization, chemical composition, recent advances in value addition, and the challenges associated with their use as food ingredients. Both BB and BH contain abundant phenolics and polysaccharides, which may confer potential health benefits. Further advances in extraction technologies for bioactive components could enhance their economic viability. Although BB and BH are often collectively treated as BB in practice, their compositions and properties differ markedly. BB can be directly incorporated into foods (within specified levels) and also serves as a substrate for enzyme production (e.g., xylanase, laccase) and bioactive compounds (e.g., GABA, phenolics). By contrast, BH is less suitable for direct consumption but shows promise in food-related applications such as packaging films, biosensors, and food-grade adsorbents. Overall, this review provides insights and feasible strategies for the high-value utilization of these barley byproducts.