Functionality and Application of Colored Cereals: Nutritional, Bioactive and Health Aspects focuses on exploiting the full and functional possibilities of these grains. From their physical chemistry to their health benefits, this book highlights cereals with potential for enhanced products. Plant-based food colorants play an important role in conferring colors to food to increase attractiveness for consumers, improve appetite, minimize synthetic colorants, and conform to food culture. Over the last decades, the presence of anthocyanin and other bioactive compounds in colored cereal grains (maize, rice, wheat, barley, sorghum, millet, and rye) have attracted the attention of various food processors and researchers.
Colored cereals are imperative for food processing industries as high-value pigments present in the bran layer can easily be extracted and utilized as functional foods and natural colorants. The extracted pigments such as anthocyanin can replace synthetic dyes currently used in foods, drugs and cosmetics. Additionally, natural additives improve the nutritional value, appearance, texture, flavor and storage properties of food products.
Sneh Punia, Ph.D., is a researcher at the Department of Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences at Clemson University, United States. Her research interests include the extraction and functional characterization of cereal starches, modified starches, biopolymers, and coatings. From 2017 to 2020, she worked as Assistant Professor (C) in the Department of Food Science and Technology, Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa. She has also worked on coloured cereals such as black rice and successfully published her work in an international peer-reviewed journal. She has presented her research in various national and international conferences and has published more than 50 research papers/book chapters in national and international journals/books. She has published two edited and two authored books with CRC Taylor and Francis Group. She also serves as the reviewer for various international journals. To date, she has authored or co-authored more than 63 publications (published/accepted), one book series, 2 authored books, 2 edited books, one reference book, 34 book chapters, 20 conference proceedings/seminars, and 3 Guest Editor of Journals special issues.
Dr. Kumar has expertise in extraction and functional characterization of proteins and other bioactive compounds from plant-based matrices. His Ph.D topic was focused on "Anthocyanins as ingredient for food industry: Strategy for extraction, Functional characterization and Enhanced stability". This research is both commercially useful and socially beneficial as anthocyanins from black soybean and black carrot act as natural colorants and have a lot of demand in the domestic and industrial market.
Currently, Dr. Kumar is working on a project funded by Science for Equity, Empowerment and Development (SEED) Division of DST (Govt. of India). Dr. Kumar has been revered with several awards throughout his academic career, including Prime Minister fellowship 2014, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute Ph.D. Gold medal, InSc Young Scientist Award 2019". ICAR's national talent scholarship and junior research fellowship during under graduation and postgraduation. He has presented his research in various national and international conferences and publishes more than 75 research papers/book chapters in national and international journals/books.
