Journal of Cereal Science 1 (1983) 1-2

Editorial

The initial impetus for the Journal of Cereal Science arose from discussions amongstcereal scientists world-wide who perceived a strong need for an English-language journalof high scientific quality in this subject area. The main objective of the Journal will beto publish research papers on all aspects of cereal science that relate to the functionaland/or nutritional quality of cereal grains and their products and that fulfil the 'highscientific quality' criterion. Coverage includes research on composition, structure,physical properties, chemistry and biochemistry of cereal grains and of materials derivedfrom them (e.g. polysaccharides, proteins, oils and minor components); it also coverscereal-based products, such as baked, fermented or extruded foods, beverages, animalfeed and industrial products. It excludes, however, research on agronomy, genetics,pathology, physiology, etc. except where that research is clearly related to the functionalor nutritional quality of cereals. For the purposes of this Journal the term 'cereals'includes graminaceous plants of commercial importance (wheat, rice, maize, barley, oats,rye, sorghum, millet, etc.) but does not include the legume' grains' (soybean, peas, etc.).

There is no doubt about the global importance of cereals in agriculture and in bothhuman and animal nutrition. Cereals have represented the major crops of mostcivilisations and will continue to do so. At present, the world production of cereals isin excessof 1·6 x 109 tonnes per annum representing about 400 kg per capita, world-wide.Of this total cereal production, 40% (i.e. 160 kg per capita) is used directly for humanfood, the remainder being used as animal feed, for industrial use or for re-sowing.

Any journal that relates to food and the food industry, and that also aims for aninternational body of authors and readers, faces considerable problems. The types ofcereal-based foods consumed in particular areas or countries often owe their origins tothe local availability of certain raw materials, whether home-grown or obtained throughlong-established importing patterns. The very nature of the food industry as a craft-basedindustry also means that, even within a small area or country, related products willdemand different types or varieties of raw materials or changes, whether subtle orprofound, in ingredients and processing conditions. Thus, applied research in onecountry on, for example, the quality criteria of wheat flour for breadmaking may be ofless relevance - or even misleading - to cereal scientists elsewhere whose work relates tobread made by a different process and to different consumer preferences.

Not surprisingly, therefore, the science underlying cereal technology has been largelyempirical hitherto. Many of the basic questions remain unanswered; for example, starchand protein are major components of cereal grains, and yet we are unable to give soundscientificreasons for the ways in which variations in chemical structure and compositionaffect the physical properties - and hence the functional behaviour - of materials derivedfrom grains. One of the major, underlying reasons for this lack of fundamentalunderstanding of grain components is, undoubtedly, their extreme complexity. However,the last decade or so has seen dramatic developments in the level of sophistication andthe range of techniques and equipment capable of being used to analyse grain

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components. Application of these facilities can be expected to lead to a deeperunderstanding of grain components and their interactions. The knowledge gained fromresearch at this level will undoubtedly be of general benefit to our understanding of thebehaviour ofcereal-based materials, whatever end-products the research may be directedtowards. It is intended that the Journal of Cereal Science will playa role in helping usalong the road to a better knowledge of cereals and in their efficient applications to ourrequirements.

T.G.J.D.S.