Cereal Grain Quality

Cereal uses range from human food and beverages to animal feeds and industrial products. It is human food and beverages which are the predominant uses covered in this book, since the nutritional quality of cereals for animal feed is described in other publications on animal nutrition, and industrial products are a relatively minor use of cereals. Cereals are the main components of human diets and are crucial to human survival. Three species, wheat, rice and maize, account for the bulk of human food. Barley is the major raw material for beer production and ranks fourth in world production. Other species such as sorghum are regionally important. This book covers all the major cereal species: wheat, rice, maize, barley, sorghum, millet, oats, rye and triticale. Specific chapters have been devoted to a description of the major end-uses of each of the species and to definition of the qualities required for each of their end uses. The functional and nutritional quality of cereals determines their suitability for specific purposes and may limit the quality of the end­ product, influencing greatly the commercial value of grain. An under­ standing of the factors that determine grain quality is thus important in the maintenance of efficient and sustainable agricultural and food production. The biochemical constituents of the grain that determine quality have been described in chapters on proteins, carbohydrates and other components. An understanding of the relationships between grain composition and quality is important in selecting grain for specific uses.

The commercial value of cereals is dependent on how suitable the grain is for use in consumer products: this in turn is dependent on the functional and nutritional quality of the grain. Cereal Grain Quality brings together in one volume information on virtually all aspects of grain quality. The editors of this comprehensive book, themselves internationally known for work in this area, have brought together an impressive list of contributors from six countries, each covering in depth an area of importance. Specific chapters have even devoted to descriptions of the major end-uses of each of the world's seven most important cereals, defining the qualities required in each instance. Three chapters cover the biochemical constituents of the major cereal species, and how the composition of grain affects quality. The manipulation and breeding of varieties of cereals to meet these quality requirements has been included with accounts of both conventional and molecular approaches using biotechnology. As quality is often dependent upon correct crop husbandry, handling and storage of grain, further chapters are devoted to agronomy and post-harvest technology. This book will provide an invaluable first point of reference to research workers and students in agronomy, agricultural and plant sciences, cereal science, food science and biotechnology.