Dear Colleagues,

Cereals and legumes are important sources of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, and constitute the basis of many staple foods. In developing countries, rural communities traditionally prepare meals consisting of foods from gluten-free indigenous cereals and pseudo-cereals as well as pulses. However, with rapid population growth, massive urbanization, and increasing disposable incomes, the consumption of wheat breads is increasing rapidly and displacing traditional meals. The bread products available to consumers, although tasty, are not nutritionally balanced. A major economic and food security problem resulting from this transition is that many developing countries rely on the importation of wheat. Furthermore, this dietary transition is resulting in a rise of noncommunicable diseases. Hence, the food system in these countries requires the valorization of locally available crops, which are naturally gluten-free, to replace wheat in breads and other bakery products. Such valorization would benefit the local baking industry as well as the small-scale farmers while opening new business opportunities along the crop value chains. Conversely, in the Western countries the increased prevalence of coeliac disease, gluten sensitivity, and irritable bowel syndrome have created a growing demand for high-quality gluten-free products. However, many current gluten-free products are low in dietary fiber, protein, micronutrients, and phytochemicals and high in starches, sugars, and fats. Furthermore, they usually contain many additives, such as hydrocolloids, which do not meet consumers’ demands for clean-label, natural ingredients.

In this Special Issue, we aim to publish innovative research results and review papers which provide a fundamental understanding and forward looking strategies for improving nutritional, sensory and chemico-physical properties of gluten-free crops for bakery applications.

Dr. Stefano Renzetti
Prof. Dr. Henriette de Kock
Dr. Emilia Nordlund
Guest Editors

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• Gluten-free
• Cereals
• Pseudo-cereals
• Legumes
• Bakery
• Bio-processing
• Processing technologies
• Sensory quality
• Physicochemical properties
• Nutritional properties
• Digestibility
• Protein functionality
• Starch functionality
• Dough rheology
• Textural quality