Functionality and Application of Colored Cereals

Book excerpt: Functionality and Application of Colored Cereals: Nutritional, Bioactive and Health Aspects focuses on exploiting the full and functional possibilities of these grains. From their physical chemistry to their health benefits, this book highlights cereals with potential for enhanced products. Plant-based food colorants play an important role in conferring colors to food to increase attractiveness for consumers, improve appetite, minimize synthetic colorants, and conform to food culture. Over the last decades, the presence of anthocyanin and other bioactive compounds in colored cereal grains (maize, rice, wheat, barley, sorghum, millet, and rye) have attracted the attention of various food processors and researchers. Colored cereals are imperative for food processing industries as high-value pigments present in the bran layer can easily be extracted and utilized as functional foods and natural colorants. The extracted pigments such as anthocyanin can replace synthetic dyes currently used in foods, drugs and cosmetics. Additionally, natural additives improve the nutritional value, appearance, texture, flavor and storage properties of food products. - Reviews colored cereal grains morphology, composition and the diversity of the different uses of cereal grains - Includes content on the functionality and therapeutic significance of functional components of colored cereal grains - Contains global coverage of the latest research on the bioactive potential, food applications and health benefits of colored cereals