Cereal proteins: Chemistry and food applications

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Abstract
There exists a major problem of malnutrition in the world today. A worldwide food crisis has become a painful reality for food scientists, agronomists, nutritionists, and planners of world economics. The diets of a substantial proportion of the human population are substandard and devoid of the necessary nutrients required for the normal growth and development of the human body. Even a cursory survey of recently published data establishes an urgent need for upgrading the diets of people in underdeveloped countries. The term “protein‐calorie malnutrition” is used to describe a complex syndrome of malnutrition mainly affecting children. The term refers not only to protein and calorie deficiencies, but also to other nutrient deficiencies. Protein deficiency and the poor nutritional quality of dietary proteins have lately generated serious concern on a worldwide basis. The supply of proteins of nutritionally acceptable biological value is likely to become short, despite rigorous population control measures in some nations, even for those countries that have hitherto enjoyed the luxury of an abundance of adequate foods. Some 54% of the organic mass of the human body is protein. In order to build specific body proteins as a human being grows, and in order to maintain a fully grown body, a person requires a daily average of 70 to 90 g of protein of high biological value with all essential amino acids in reasonable proportion. The current world production of edible animal proteins of desired quality is only 25% (2% fish, 23% livestock) of the total protein supply. The remainder is comprised of cereal protein (60%) and legumes and other vegetable proteins (25%). Obviously, then, cereal proteins, despite their relatively low quality, do figure in the balancing of the human diet. Of course, the worldwide statistics on protein production are not limitation‐proof and can, at best, be taken as approximations. Estimates from various sources vary considerably. However, a judicious use of even relatively less reliable statistics does furnish guidelines for planning, research, and action on an international scale. There is room and potential for improving: (1) total cereal production, (2) total cereal protein production, (3) the quality of cereal proteins, (4) cereal based food science and technology, and finally (5) the fate of every living human being on this planet. The central theme, as well as the significance, of this review is to foster the solution to the above concerns by compiling data on the chemical, physical, and nutritional properties of cereal proteins and by advancing ideas pertinent to food applications. The review consists of selected references to recent texts, records of symposia and reviews, and an extensive tabulation of available data. Remarks in regard to new product development and cereal food fortification are included whenever possible. It must be pointed out that because of the anticipated value to the corporation, a great amount of the findings of research on cereal protein isolates, on the special functional properties of newer protein preparations from cereals as well as from other vegetable sources, and on the potential uses of these findings in food formulation remains a corporate secret. However, published literature does furnish detailed accounts of cereal protein chemistry and functionality that can be used as guidelines for food formulation and product development.

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