Proceedings of the International Symposium on Sorghum Grain Quality

Abstract

There has long been a need to review the present knowledge on the quality of
\nsorghum grain, especially since it is one of the major food grains of 700 million
\npeople living under impoverished conditions in the semi-arid tropics.
\nTo meet this need, ICRISAT hosted an International Symposium on Sorghum
\nGrain Quality in October 1981 at ICRISAT Center near Hyderabad, India. It was
\nsponsored by the USAID Title XII Collaborative Research Support Program on
\nSorghum and Pearl Millet ( INTSORMIL) , the Indian Council of Agricultural
\nResearch ( ICAR) ,and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid
\nTropics (ICRISAT).
\nParticipants interested in sorghum as a food who attended the Symposium
\nrepresented diverse disciplines: food technology, home economics, nutrition,
\nbreeding, biochemistry, food processing, engineering, pathology, and economics,
\nand the topics included the existing knowledge on preparing sorghum as a food, its
\ngrain structure and deterioration, milling and laboratory methods for evaluating
\nand improving food quality, nutrition, consumer acceptance, marketing, and
\nquality standards.
\nA wide range of sorghum grain types is used to prepare different solid and liquid
\nfoods such as porridges, leavened and unleavened breads, snacks, beverages, and
\nbeer. However, there are two major disadvantages of sorghum as a food—the
\nproblems of nutrient uptake, and the constant drudgery involved in hand pounding
\nand hand grinding to make sorghum flour.
\nSorghum grain quality is a complex subject. Only in recent years have
\nnutritionists and millers studied the problems associated wi t h sorghum. To replace
\nhand processing, several pilot projects using machines for pearling and grinding
\nare under way in some locations in Africa.
\nIncreasingly, plant breeders are developing new varieties and hybrids. For
\nsuccessful adoption of new cultivars by farmers, consumer acceptance is an
\nessential requirement. We need more information on why sorghum is accepted or
\nrejected as a food, and work still needs to be done to develop laboratory tests to
\nscreen sorghum for food quality.