Chapter 14 - Role for Value Addition in Processing Foods of Traditional Varieties of Grains

Abstract

Human kind stretches with stress and strain relentlessly with hope for a secured life with health to relish it satisfactorily. Day by day, food has transformed into varieties of choices for taste, aroma, quality, and health preferences. In tune to the nature and origin of raw materials, the nutritional ratio fluctuates. The final essentials of food is determined not in the cooking pan alone. It starts right from the farm where the choice for seeds is made. Although the traditional grains of rice, wheat, millets, and pulses are embodiment of diversified nutrients, the grains are neglected for lack of pleasant taste, aroma, and appearance. Hence, in this chapter, the role of value addition in processing foods of traditional grain varieties into novel products, such as therapeutic products and ethnic and functional foods is discussed. Conquering the constraints for conversion of traditional toxic-free varieties into desirable food products for promoting consumption for health and remunerative livelihood will be an eye-opener for all readers across the globe. The art of fortification and designing options available to develop functional foods with careful cost economics gives us the choice to decide about whether to proceed with value addition in traditional grains.