Wheat is a main cultivated food crop and establishes a central staple food in many countries worldwide. Wheat and other cereals are experiencing a revival phenomenon because of the increasing interest in plant-based diets and the consequent demand for raw materials and versatile ingredients that can be processed into nutritious yet affordable foods. Historically, wheat-baking goods have always been a prominent food and traditional breadmaking is one of the oldest processes of mankind. Moreover, in the last decades, the bakery industry is facing innovation challenges to answer the demands of modern consumers for convenient, nutritious, stable, natural, clean label, low-processed and healthy food. In addition, cereal crop breeding is undergoing a shift from the targets of yields and disease resistance to the targets of sustainability, resilience to climate change and global warming, and health and nutrition promotion. Finally, the recent events of COVID-19 and the war in Europe have called into question the importance of food quality, food safety, and food security, and, in particular, of wheat and other cereals.
This research topic aims at reviewing the most recent knowledge and trends in the field of wheat breeding and breadmaking. Particularly, it will emphasize the latest biotechnological techniques, which are very likely to lead to breakthrough changes in the field of wheat breeding, fermentation, and baking. Specific aims comprise:
• Wheat varieties with greater diversity towards the improvement of the nutritional value and better baking performance;
• Technological, microbiological, physicochemical, morphological, rheological, phytochemical, and nutritional characterization of wheat varieties and baking products
• Modern biotechnological methodologies for the development and/or screening of wheat;
• Wheat application in breadmaking and other food sectors;
• Conventional and molecular wheat breeding for improving health-related properties and processing quality traits;
• Identification of new genetic resources of wheat varieties and use of pre-breeding activities to improve health-related attributes, food quality, food safety, and food security;
• Alternative wheat varieties in bread formulations to increase the diversity of baking products in the market as well as to improve the baking performance and health attributes;
• Impact of climate change and global warming in the form of abiotic and/or biotic stresses on wheat composition.
This research topic encompasses a collection of original research articles and reviews. The scope of this topic research spans the fields of science of wheat breeding, agronomy, genetics, microbiology, rheology, textural, nutritional and physicochemical characterization, sensorial analysis and consumer preferences, new product development, food quality, and regulation, food safety and food security, and development of analytical methodologies, with applications in the agri-food, nutraceutical (dietary supplements and food additives). Examples of themes are conventional and molecular breeding efforts to improve nutritional and health-promoting traits, field management practices and sustainable (organic or conventional) agriculture, modern methodologies in wheat science and technology, breeding approaches to achieve robust wheat cereal, the impact of pre-harvest and sprouting on the baking industry, composition and activity of microbiota and their effect on the quality of baking-based products, the role of enzymes in breadmaking, innovation in bakery products, fortification and consumer preferences and acceptability of new products, the impact of wheat-based products in public health, fermentation, and sourdough fermentation, among many others.
This Research Topic aims to collect publications relevant to human nutrition and food science only. Studies relating to plant science/plant nutrition without direct links to the implications for human health, nutrition, or food science will not be accepted in this Research Topic and will be re-directed to other relevant Frontiers journals.
Wheat is a main cultivated food crop and establishes a central staple food in many countries worldwide. Wheat and other cereals are experiencing a revival phenomenon because of the increasing interest in plant-based diets and the consequent demand for raw materials and versatile ingredients that can be processed into nutritious yet affordable foods. Historically, wheat-baking goods have always been a prominent food and traditional breadmaking is one of the oldest processes of mankind. Moreover, in the last decades, the bakery industry is facing innovation challenges to answer the demands of modern consumers for convenient, nutritious, stable, natural, clean label, low-processed and healthy food. In addition, cereal crop breeding is undergoing a shift from the targets of yields and disease resistance to the targets of sustainability, resilience to climate change and global warming, and health and nutrition promotion. Finally, the recent events of COVID-19 and the war in Europe have called into question the importance of food quality, food safety, and food security, and, in particular, of wheat and other cereals.
This research topic aims at reviewing the most recent knowledge and trends in the field of wheat breeding and breadmaking. Particularly, it will emphasize the latest biotechnological techniques, which are very likely to lead to breakthrough changes in the field of wheat breeding, fermentation, and baking. Specific aims comprise:
• Wheat varieties with greater diversity towards the improvement of the nutritional value and better baking performance;
• Technological, microbiological, physicochemical, morphological, rheological, phytochemical, and nutritional characterization of wheat varieties and baking products
• Modern biotechnological methodologies for the development and/or screening of wheat;
• Wheat application in breadmaking and other food sectors;
• Conventional and molecular wheat breeding for improving health-related properties and processing quality traits;
• Identification of new genetic resources of wheat varieties and use of pre-breeding activities to improve health-related attributes, food quality, food safety, and food security;
• Alternative wheat varieties in bread formulations to increase the diversity of baking products in the market as well as to improve the baking performance and health attributes;
• Impact of climate change and global warming in the form of abiotic and/or biotic stresses on wheat composition.
This research topic encompasses a collection of original research articles and reviews. The scope of this topic research spans the fields of science of wheat breeding, agronomy, genetics, microbiology, rheology, textural, nutritional and physicochemical characterization, sensorial analysis and consumer preferences, new product development, food quality, and regulation, food safety and food security, and development of analytical methodologies, with applications in the agri-food, nutraceutical (dietary supplements and food additives). Examples of themes are conventional and molecular breeding efforts to improve nutritional and health-promoting traits, field management practices and sustainable (organic or conventional) agriculture, modern methodologies in wheat science and technology, breeding approaches to achieve robust wheat cereal, the impact of pre-harvest and sprouting on the baking industry, composition and activity of microbiota and their effect on the quality of baking-based products, the role of enzymes in breadmaking, innovation in bakery products, fortification and consumer preferences and acceptability of new products, the impact of wheat-based products in public health, fermentation, and sourdough fermentation, among many others.
This Research Topic aims to collect publications relevant to human nutrition and food science only. Studies relating to plant science/plant nutrition without direct links to the implications for human health, nutrition, or food science will not be accepted in this Research Topic and will be re-directed to other relevant Frontiers journals.
