Nutritious, tasty and health-promoting novel wheat products

Wheat, as a major human food contributor, add physical (e.g. taste, flavor, aroma, and color) and nutritional (e.g. protein, minerals, phytochemicals, and amino acids) values to the food. Qualitative and quantitative factors regulate these values in a genetically strict manner.

State-of-the-art farm-to-fork strategies are the most effective solutions to maintain physical and nutritional properties of the wheat grain, contributing to human health and well-being.

This proposal combines sensory and consumer analyses of wheat characters with cutting-edge genomics and metabolomics tools to identify improved physical and nutritional values in wheat genotypes.

The project aims to define the molecular, biochemical, and phenotypic traits behind the physical and nutritional values in wheat.

A combination of 1) comprehensive metabolomics analysis and association genomics to facilitate marker-aided breeding; 2) healthy product development; 3) sensory analysis; and 4) consumer perception studies, will be utilized.

The results will provide breeders, geneticists, millers, and bakeries with the essential knowledge and resources required to enhance the taste, flavor and nutrition of wheat.

Consequently, this project will provide a scientifically based direction leading to incremental improvements in health outcomes of the population by expanding scientific knowledge to the development of desirable and healthful food. Ultimately, it contributes to a national sustainable food production system.