Cereal grains from the grass family Gramineae

World major food crop

Most common; wheat, rice, corn, barley (85%) millets, sorghum, oats and rye (15%)Uses for flour, pasta, breakfast cereal, alcoholic beverage, animal feed

sorghum

rye

Structure: individual kernels or grain called caryopses

Composition of cereals grains

Caryopses

Protective outer husk

Bran covering

Starchy endosperm

Germ

Husk/

Chaff

• Protect grain from frost, wind, rain, extreme temp. and other potential damaging environment

• Not usually consumed• Processed into fibre supplement

Bran

• 14.5% by weight, excellent source of fibre and minerals• Less fibrous coating, (aleurone layer)- contain protein, phosphorous, thiamin and other

vitamin B, some fat• Removed when process into white flour

Endosperm

• Comprise 83% of the grain, contain starch• Whole grain, with added fibre- complex carbohydrate• Basis of all flour (-husk, bran and germ), milled into fine powder• ‘Whole grain’ flour (+ bran and germ) milled into flour

Germ/

embryo

• 2.5% of grain weight• Rich in fat, incomplete protein, vitamin and minerals• Collected and sold separately as wheat germ (excellent source of vitamins B and E)• Susceptible to spoilage should be refrigerated• Whole grain- shorter shelf life than white flour

Wheat grain

CHO (75%)

Protein (10%)

Moisture (10%)

Fat (1-2%)

Ash (1-2%)

Composition of wheat grain