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Cereal processing
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What is cereal processing?
Cereal processing refers to treating cereals and other plants to prepare their starch for use as human food, animal feed, or for industrial purposes. The main procedure in cereal processing is milling, which involves grinding the grain for easy cooking and to make it more appealing as food. Cereals are typically not eaten raw. Depending on the cereal type and consumer preferences, different milling methods, such as dry and wet milling, are used. Some cereal grains undergo polishing to remove most of the bran and germ, leaving only the endosperm.
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Why do we need to process cereals like wheat, rice, and corn?
Cereal processing, mainly through milling, transforms grains like wheat, rice, and corn into forms suitable for consumption. Raw cereals are generally not consumed, so processing makes them easier to cook and more appealing as food.
Different milling types (dry and wet) are applied based on the cereal and consumer preferences. Processing can involve grinding, air purification, and sieving to separate the endosperm from outer layers. Some cereals undergo polishing to remove the bran and germ. Additionally, enrichment with minerals and vitamins is a common practice to replace nutrients lost during processing.
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What are the main steps involved in cereal processing?
Cereal processing involves several key steps, primarily milling, to transform grains into consumable forms.
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Cleaning and Preparation Initial screening removes foreign seeds and impurities. Grains are dampened or washed to achieve optimal moisture for grinding, or gently dried to protect the gluten.
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Grinding (Milling) Modern automated systems use steel cylinders to grind the grain, separating the endosperm from the outer layers and germ. Wheat undergoes gradual reduction using grooved steel cylinders, with the resulting product sieved to separate endosperm, semolina, and bran.
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Flaking and Toasting Grains like corn are broken into grits, cooked with flavoring, dried, and then flaked between steel cylinders. The flakes are toasted to dehydrate and blister them, enhancing flavor and texture.
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Shredding Whole grains are cleaned, boiled to increase moisture content, and then shredded using specialized rolls. These shreds are layered, cut into tablets, baked, and dried.
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Storage Proper storage is crucial to prevent spoilage from respiration, pests, and mold. Ventilation and maintaining low moisture content are essential.
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How does milling change the structure of cereal grains?
Milling is a crucial process in cereal processing that changes the structure of cereal grains to make them suitable for consumption. The primary goal is to grind the grain, which allows for easy cooking and enhances its appeal as food.
During milling, the endosperm is separated from the outer coverings (bran) and the germ. Different milling methods, such as dry and wet milling, are applied based on the type of cereal and consumer preferences. Some grains undergo polishing to remove the bran and germ, leaving mainly the endosperm. Ultimately, milling prepares cereals for various uses, from flour production to livestock feed.
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How does cereal processing impact the nutritional value of food?
Cereal processing, like milling, is a complex procedure that affects the nutritional value of food. Milling separates the edible endosperm from the outer coverings and germ.
During processing, cereals may lose essential nutrients, such as B vitamins and dietary fiber, especially when producing refined grains like white flour and white rice. To compensate for nutrient loss, enrichment with minerals and vitamins is a common practice. For example, B vitamins are added to flour, cereals, baked goods, and pasta. However, some beneficial components, like fiber, may still be lacking unless added separately.
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Cereal processing, treatment of cereals and other plants to prepare their starch for human food, animal feed, or industrial use.
Cereals, or grains, are members of the grass family cultivated primarily for their starchy seeds (technically, dry fruits). Wheat, rice, corn (maize), rye, oats, barley, sorghum, and some of the millets are common cereals; their composition is shown in the table.
| cereal grain | energy (kcal) | water (g) | carbohydrate (g) | protein (g) | fat (g) | minerals (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source: Composition of Foods, Agriculture Handbook no. 8–20, U.S. Department of Agriculture. | ||||||
| barley (pearled) | 352 | 10.09 | 77.72 | 9.91 | 1.16 | 1.11 |
| corn (field) | 365 | 10.37 | 74.26 | 9.42 | 4.74 | 1.20 |
| millet | 378 | 8.67 | 72.85 | 11.02 | 4.22 | 3.25 |
| oats (oatmeal) | 384 | 8.80 | 67.00 | 16.00 | 6.30 | 1.90 |
| rice (brown; long-grain) | 370 | 10.37 | 77.24 | 7.94 | 2.92 | 1.53 |
| rye | 335 | 10.95 | 69.76 | 14.76 | 2.50 | 2.02 |
| sorghum | 339 | 9.20 | 74.63 | 11.30 | 3.30 | 1.57 |
| wheat (hard red winter) | 327 | 13.10 | 71.18 | 12.61 | 1.54 | 1.57 |
Starch, a carbohydrate stored in most plants, is a major constituent of the average human diet, providing a low-cost energy source with good keeping qualities. Cereals are high in starch, which may be used in pure or flour form. Starches are also obtained from such root sources as potatoes and from the pith of tropical palm trees. Various starches are used commercially in food processing and in the manufacture of laundering preparations, paper, textiles, adhesives, explosives, and cosmetics.
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This article treats the processing and utilization of the major cereals—wheat, rice, barley, rye, oats, corn, sorghum, millet, and buckwheat; of important starchy foods consumed in certain countries instead of cereals, including potatoes and cassava; and of soybeans, legumes widely used in the bakery industry. Wheat species are treated in detail, other cereals in a more general way.
Cereal processing and utilization
Milling
Cereal processing is complex. The principal procedure is milling—that is, the grinding of the grain so that it can be easily cooked and rendered into an attractive foodstuff. Cereals usually are not eaten raw, but different kinds of milling (dry and wet) are employed, depending on the cereal itself and on the eating customs of the consumer. Wheat may be crushed with grinding stones or similar devices or by modern automated systems employing steel cylinders, followed by air purification and numerous sievings to separate the endosperm from the outer coverings and the germ.
Corn is often milled by wet processes, but dry milling is also practiced, especially in the developing countries. Corn, with its high germ content, is inclined to respire more during storage and, unless precautions are taken, may increase in temperature during incorrect storage. Most other cereals are ground in the dry state. Some cereal grains are polished, removing most of the bran and germ and leaving the endosperm.
Uses
Human food
Cereals are used for both human and animal food and as an industrial raw material. Although milled white flour is largely used for bread production, especially in industrialized countries, the grain may be converted to food in other ways. In India the major part of the grain is not ground into flour in roller mills but is roughly ground in small crushing mills into a meal called atta. This meal is cooked into flat cakes known as chapatis.
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Animal food
The principal cereals used as components of animal feeds are wheat and such wheat by-products as the outer coverings separated in the preparation of white flour (bran and the more floury middlings), corn, barley, sorghum, rye, and oats. These are supplemented by protein foods and green fodders.
Animal foods require proper balance between the cereals (carbohydrates) and the more proteinous foods, and they must also contain suitable amounts of necessary minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. The compounded ration for a milking cow generally contains about 50–80 percent cereals, consisting of wheat by-products, flaked or ground corn, barley, sorghum, wheat, and oats. Requirements for most balanced rations for pigs and poultry are similar. Corn is especially useful in high-energy feeds either as meal or as the flaked and partly gelatinized product; barley is desirable for fattening, and oats help provide a better balanced cereal for livestock. Without cereals for use in farm animal foods, the available supply of the animal protein required in the human diet would be greatly reduced.
Industrial uses
The relatively minor use of cereals in nonfood products includes the cellulose in the straw of cereals by the paper industry, flour for manufacturing sticking pastes and industrial alcohol, and wheat gluten for core binders in the casting of metal. Rice chaff is often used as fuel in Asia.