Sorghum—food, beverage and brewing potentials

Abstract

Sorghum is an important cereal which, unlike cereals such a barley, wheat and rice, can be grown economically in the semi-arid regions of the world. Although sorghum has been used traditionally to produce foods, malt beverages and beer, its structure and function have not been studied to the same extent as grains which grow readily in the more developed regions of the world. Sorghum, like other cereals, is an excellent source of starch and protein and can be processed into starch, flour, grits and flakes which can be used to produce a wide range of industrial products. It can also be malted and therefore can be processed into malted foods, beverages and beer. Sorghum could play a pivotal role in developments towards agricultural improvement in some of the poorest countries of the world if relevant scientific work is carried out to produce the yield, quality and knowledge required by locally-based industries.