All fundamental whole cereal, starch, protein, and other grain or pulse chemistry and any related polymer science approaches. Any study of chemical interactions of the component parts of grains is also included.

Celiac Disease: A Multidisciplinary Point of View
Organizers: Peter Koehler, German Research Center for Food Chemistry, Freising, Germany; Jodi Engleson, Grains for Health Foundation, St. Paul, MN, U.S.A.
Financial Sponsors: R-Biopharm AG, General Mills, Inc., Romer Labs  
In genetically susceptible individuals, the ingestion of gluten triggers an immune-related entheropathy known as celiac disease (CD). CD is a multidisciplinary issue. Research is being conducted aimed at understanding the mechanisms that trigger CD. Because patients have to adhere to a strict, lifelong, gluten-free diet, methods are required to properly prepare gluten-free foods and to check whether they are in fact gluten-free. Novel approaches are aimed at using gluten-containing raw materials and degrading gluten during food processing, thereby providing gluten-free food with nutritional, textural, and sensory attributes that are comparable to those of gluten-containing foods. Another promising way to deal with CD is to use specific peptidases as drugs, which extensively hydrolyze dietary gluten and, thus, inhibit toxic gluten peptides from entering the small intestine. The symposium gives an overview of current activities related to CD and gluten-free foods.

Bioavailability and metabolism of ferulates and other grain phenolics
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Z. Zhao and M. H. Moghadasian. Canadian Centre for Agri-food Research in Health and Medicine, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre and the University of Manitoba.
Ferulic acid and other phenolic compounds commonly found in grains may offer benefits against chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. The impact of grain phenolics on health depends on their absorption, metabolism and bioavailability. Factors such as chemical structure, dietary dose (intake) and/or source determine the metabolic fate and bioavailability of phenolic compounds. Limited studies suggest that the relative bioavailability of free phenolic acids may be increased in the order of caffeic acid < ferulic acid < p-coumaric acid. Experimental and clinical evidence suggests that free phenolic acids in low doses are quickly absorbed in the stomach and foregut, while most of bound pnenolics reach the hindgut, where free phenolics are released for absorption and metabolism. Some phenolics are degraded into smaller molecules like m-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid by gut microflora before absorption. Absorbed phenolics are conjugated mainly by the liver with glucuronic acid, sulfate, and/or glycine. Phenolics which are highly bound with insoluble fibers -like heteroxylans in maize- are hardly digested and thus excreted intact through feces. In this session, recent studies establishing the bioavailability and metabolism of grain phenolics will be discussed. Future studies will determine the impact of dietary source and the form of phenolics on improving human health.

Recent Advances in Knowledge Related to Starch Synthesis and Structure
Organizers: Melissa Fitzgerald, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Metro Manila, Philippines; Matthew Morell, CSIRO, Brisbane, Australia
Sponsoring Committees: Carbohydrate Division, Rice Division  
Starch is one of the most abundant biopolymers in nature. The apparent similarity of starches from different sources and the concomitant diversity in the functional properties make starch one of the most versatile compounds, with applications in food and nonfood industries. The biosynthesis and breakdown of starch are both complex processes governed by a number of genetic and environmental factors. Research over the past few decades has revealed much about starch synthesis and organization of the granules at both the micro and nano scales. However, much remains to be discovered about the regulatory processes and the organization of the granules at different scales. This symposium will provide an overview of our current understanding of starch synthesis, regulatory mechanisms, and granular organization that will help starch scientists to adopt new tools for grain-improvement programs and for nutritional and functional applications.

Amylolytic enzymes and bread firming
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J. Delcour, H. Goesaert. Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry and Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre, K.U.Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Louise Slade. Food Polymer Science Consultancy, Morris Plains, New Jersey. 
Quality and freshness of foods are high-priority considerations for most consumers. This is especially true with bakery products, where any item perceived as stale is immediately rejected. Bread is of the most important constituents of an equilibrated diet. An important problem, however, is that bread stales at a considerable rate and continuously loses part of its attractivity or in the worst case that it won’t be sold or consumed.