title: Effects of abiotic stress and crop management on cereal grain composition: implications for food quality and safety.
abstract: The effects of abiotic stresses and crop management on cereal grain composition are reviewed, focusing on phytochemicals, vitamins, fibre, protein, free amino acids, sugars, and oils. These effects are discussed in the context of nutritional and processing quality and the potential for formation of processing contaminants, such as acrylamide, furan, hydroxymethylfurfuryl, and trans fatty acids. The implications of climate change for cereal grain quality and food safety are considered. It is concluded that the identification of specific environmental stresses that affect grain composition in ways that have implications for food quality and safety and how these stresses interact with genetic factors and will be affected by climate change needs more investigation. Plant researchers and breeders are encouraged to address the issue of processing contaminants or risk appearing out of touch with major end-users in the food industry, and not to overlook the effects of environmental stresses and crop management on crop composition, quality, and safety as they strive to increase yield.
authors.affiliation: Plant Biology and Crop Science Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK nigel.halford@rothamsted.ac.uk sw1@saas.sh.cn.
authors.forename: Nigel G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Halford
authors.affiliation: Plant Biology and Crop Science Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK.
authors.forename: Tanya Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 2901 Beidi Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 201106, Peoples Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhiwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 2901 Beidi Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 201106, Peoples Republic of China nigel.halford@rothamsted.ac.uk sw1@saas.sh.cn.
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D057231:Climate Change; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D063427:Food Quality; D059022:Food Safety; D009753:Nutritive Value
keywords: Climate change; crop nutrition; drought; food safety; food security; grain composition; heat stress; processing contaminants; regulatory compliance.