Barley for food: Characteristics, improvement, and renewed interest

Barley (Hordeum vulgare vulgare L.) is an ancient cereal grain, which upon domestication has evolved from largely a food grain to a feed and malting grain. However, barley food use today remains important in some cultures around the world, particularly in Asia and northern Africa, and there is renewed interest throughout the world in barley food because of its nutritional value. This review covers basic and general information on barley food use and barley grain processing for food use, as well as an in-depth look at several major aspects/traits of interest for barley food use including kernel hardness and colour, grain starch, and β-glucan contents. These traits are described in terms of their effects on processing and nutrition, as well as their inheritance and the prospects for barley improvement through breeding. Whereas, the aspects listed above have been studied relatively extensively in barley in terms of content, form, genetics, physiology, and in some cases nutritional quality, little is know about functional properties for processing and food product development. Renewed interest in barley for food uses largely centres around the effects of β-glucans on lowering blood cholesterol levels and glycemic index. Wholegrain barley foods also appear to be associated with increased satiety and weight loss. There is great potential to utilise barley in a large number of cereal-based food products as a substitute partially or wholly for currently used cereal grains such as wheat (Triticum aestivum), oat (Avena sativa), rice (Oryza sativa), and maize (Zea mays).