Grain quality of sorghum, pearl millet, maize and minor millets

Maize, sorghum, pearl millet, and other minor millets are important staple cereals in many tropical countries including India and supply the essential calories, proteins, minerals and vitamins. Grain mass and composition show considerable variation in these cereals and therefore give rise to a variety of food products. Maize and pearl millet are valuable for their oil content and finger millet is considered as a nutritious food grain due to its very high calcium content. Maize and sorghum are inferior in amino acid composition. Cereal grains are generally processed by dehulling, wet milling, dry milling, popping, roasting, malting or fermentation. Traditional foods like roti, and t1120hick and thin porridges are commonly prepared from these cereals. Role of a few physicochemical characteristics of the grain and their influence on processing and food quality are discussed