Principles of Cereal Science and Technology, Third Edition
Pages 53-70
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/9781891127632.003
ISBN: 978-1-891127-63-2
Abstract
Cereal grains, like all biological materials, vary widely in their chemical composition. The variation is quite noticeable in the protein content. Wheat, for instance, varies from less than 6% to more than 27% in protein content, although most commercial samples are between 8 and 16% protein. The proteins in cereals are important from a nutritional point of view. In the case of wheat, the protein also has a drastic impact on functionality. This is undoubtedly the reason for the wheat storage protein, gluten, being the most-studied cereal protein. Gluten is believed to be mostly responsible for the breadmaking capabilities of wheat flour. We discuss this protein in more detail in this chapter.
