cereals Flashcards
what is a cereal
A grass grown for its edible grains.
what are Pseudo-cereal
Non-grass plants that are often treated like cereal grains, e.g. buckwheat and quinoa are seeds and not true grains.
what are whole grains
Cereal grains in their natural form, retaining the germ, bran and endosperm.
Whole grains are often surrounded by a husk which is removed and not eaten. No other part is removed
what are refined grains
These have had the germ and bran removed, leaving only the endosperm.
what are hulled grains
Edible whole grains - the hull is removed for consumption.
what are pearled grains
These have had the bran removed so are not a whole grain, e.g. barley is often pearled.
what is the hull of a grain
the inedible outer layer of a whole grain that protects the inner kernel from sunlight, pests, water, and disease.
Hull is the capsule that holds the grain and is part removed as isn’t edible
what is the bran of a grain
the multi-layered outer skin of the kernel its often ground into bran flour
what is the nutritional value of the bran part of a grain
contains fibre, antioxidants, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, b vit, and phytonutrients (prevents disease)
what is the role of the endosperm part of a grain
for food supply
it surrounds and provides nutrition to the germ
what the nutritional value of the endosperm part of a grain
contains carbs, protein, and small amount of vits and minerals
its very high in starch
wat is the role of the germ part of a grain
the embryo
it sprouts into a new plant if fertilized by pollen
what is the nutritional value of the germ part of a grain
contains antioxidants, b vits, vit E, phytonutrients, and unsat fats
what is included in the wheat family
includes grains like emmer, spelt, and durum
what’s the most common wheat grown for
for bread flour (common wheat).
what does milling wheat do
Milling, using steel rollers, removes the germ and bran, so the flour is essentially powdered endosperm.
what does Any white wheat flour milled in the UK have to have added to it
calcium carbonate, iron, thiamin and nicotinic acid
whats wholewheat flour made from, and whats it used to make
from grains with bran and germ intact.
Used to make bread, biscuits and pasta.
what is gluten
a Protein complex (gliadin and glutelin) in wheat,
Gliadin creates reaction to the ‘fingers’ in gut that usually absorb all nutrients, as it cuts these off and so decreases all nutrient absorption
what properties does gluten give to food
Gives dough the ability to hold gas when it rises.
what is the allergy to gliadin fraction called
and what does this allergy do
coeliac disease
Damage to the lining of the small bowel which decreases the ability of the gut to absorb nutrients.
Symptoms include bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, wind, constipation, tiredness, sudden or unexpected weight loss, hair loss, joint or bone pain, pins and needles and anaemia.
what are gluten free food formulated without
wheat or rye protein.
what climate does oats grow best in
wet climate as prevents fungal diseases occurring etc
what percentage of oats are fed to animals
95%
which countries are the largest consumers of oats
UK
USA
how are oats prepared for consumption
by cleaning, drying, storing for a period then removing the closely adherent husk.
The product (groats) can be:
Ground to produce oatmeal.
Rolled into flakes after being partly cooked by steam.
what are oats richer in compared to other cereals
good fats, and minerals#
and soluble fibre (beta-glucans) of oats help lower blood cholesterol.
why are oats not suitable for bread making
as its proteins do not form an elastic complex like gluten of wheat when mixed with water.
Oats don’t contain gluten so less elastic in cooking, so is an unsuitable flour for breads etc
what food products are oats found
granolas, mueslis, manufactured breakfast cereals
what is maize made from
corn thats been dried
what are uses of maize in food
Cornflakes, sweetcorn, corn-on-the-cob, cornflour.
how is maize used in animal diets
Used for cattle fodder or for conversion to glucose syrup or ‘corn syrup’.
Most maize produced worldwide is also going into animal feed
in which countries is maize important in the diet
diet in America and South Africa - tortillas.
Maize is becoming more common in our diets in uk
can maize be used for bread making and why
Cannot be used for making bread as proteins do not form a gluten.
when was maize introduced into Europe
1500
what converts niacytin to niacin (in terms of for maize)
Practice of steeping maize in lime water
what is the concern with niacin in cereals
Niacin in cereals is in a complex “niacytin” which cannot be absorbed. Maize is also deficient of tryptophan
what disease appeared in europe after maize was introduced that south Americans didn’t suffer from
pellagra
what percentage of maize is GM
32%
where did rye arise and then migrate to, and why was this migration advantageous
Arose in SW Asia and migrated with domesticated wheat and barley as a weed. It reached the Baltic coast where it grew better than other cereals in poor, acid soil and a cool, moist climate.
is rye hardy or weak, and where does it grow
Exceptionally hardy and grows as far north as the Arctic Circle and as high up as 4000 meters.
what causes rye to produce an unusual bread
its unusual carbohydrates and proteins
where is rye bread a staple
north Europe
what rye products are popular in UK
crisp rye biscuits from crushed whole rye grain
where is barley grown
Grown from the Arctic Circle to tropical plains of Northern India.
in the west how much barley do we consume and how much do animals consume
A minor food in the West – half is fed to animals and a third is used as malt.
what is barley malt and hows it made and whats it for
Powder or syrup made from barley grains that are moistened, allowed to germinate, and become sweet with sugars.
Major ingredient in beers, and a minor ingredient in baked goods.
what is Pearl (or pearled) barley, and hows it made and whats it for
Hull-less barleys. Pearling removes the hull and then portions of the bran.
its commonly used in soups
where is rice native of
Native of tropical and semitropical Indian subcontinent, SE Asia and southern China
Half of worlds pop have diet based off of the rice staple
how many different variety of rice are there
more than 100,000
what process does most rice go though to remove the aleurone layer
Most rice is milled to remove the bran and most of the germ, then ‘polished’ with fine brushes to grind away the fine aleurone layer.
how can rice cause food poisoning
Raw rice carries spores of Bacillus cereus which can cause food poisoning. If cooked rice is left for a few hours at room temperature, spores germinate, bacteria multiply and toxins accumulate.
Serve cooked rice promptly, and refrigerate leftovers as quickly as possible (within 1h) to prevent bacterial growth.
how does rice accumulate higher levels of arsenic than other crops
from soil + water versus other crops due to anaerobic paddy soil culture.
which age group are most exposed to arsenic
young children < 3 years
what does Arsenic and inorganic arsenic compounds classified by IARC as group 1 carcinogen cause
Genotoxic.
Chromosomal mutagen.
Changes in methylation of oncogenes or tumour-suppressor genes.
In lab animals + human cells, exposure to arsenite (AsO33-) or arsenate (AsO43-) results in generation of ROS.
what are the main sources of exposure to arsenic
water and food
what does the UK FSA recommend about children under age 4 and a half about arsenic in rice
children <4.5y should not be given rice drinks as a substitute for breast milk, infant formula or cows’ milk.
what do the Swedish FSA recommend to those under age 6 about arsenic in rice
rice cakes should not be consumed by those <6y.
what should higher rice consumers do with consider cooking methods to reduce arsenic concentration in rice.
Rinse washing removes ~ 10% of Asi from basmati rice.
High volume water : rice cooking (6:1) removes Asi by 45% compared to uncooked (raw) rice.
what are millets and where are they native
A group of many different grains, all with very small, round seeds (1-2mm in diameter).
Native to Africa and Asia and cultivated for 6000 years.
what are good nutritional qualities of millets
Remarkable for high protein content.
what food products are millets used for
Porridge, breads, malts and beers.
millets require low water content compared to other cereal, whys this good
Low water requirement so good in drought conditions
what is teff and where’s it mainly grown
Tiny 1mm seeds come in various colours, from reddish brown to white.
Mainly grown in Ethiopia and Eritrea.
what food products is teff used to make
Often made into spongy flatbread or flat pancakes called injera.
where is sorghum native to and what conditions is it grown in
Native to central and south Africa, then taken to India and China.
Tolerant to drought and heat, so established in most warm countries.
what are food products that use sorghum
Porridge, flatbreads, couscous (not the only grain in this) and beers
what is triticale and whats it grown for
its a completely synthetic grain
Modern, artificial cross between wheat x rye.
Grain more similar to wheat than rye.
Mostly grown for animal feed.
where is buckwheat (a pseudo-cereal) native and a staple
and whats it a relative of
Native of central Asia, domesticated in China or India about 1000 years ago.
A staple in parts of China, Korea and Nepal.
its a relative of rhubarb
what do the different countries ( Himalayas, Russia, USA, and Japan) all each use buck wheat for in food
Himalyas: flatbread and pakoras.
Russia: small pancakes called blini.
USA: pancakes.
Japan: soba (buckwheat noodles).
where is quinoa (a pseudo-cereal) native and a staple of
and what family is it in
Native of northern S America, domesticated near Lake Titicaca in Andes.
A staple of the Incas.
Same family as beets and spinach.
what food can quinoa be added to or made into
Can be cooked (like rice) or added to soups, or ground and made into flatbreads.
