ABSTRACT
Microwave technology is widely used in food processing due to high heating/penetration potential, with significantly reduced food preparation time, uniform distribution of heating, handling precision, ease of use, and low maintenance. Furthermore, when compared to conventional heating, microwave processing modifies the flavour and nutritional qualities of food to a lesser extent during the cooking or reheating process. The aim of this chapter is to discuss the effect of microwave processing on nutritional, functional, and biological qualities of cereals and cereal-basedproducts. Cereals such as maize, rice, and wheat are staple foods of humans and are key sourcesof carbohydrates, fibre, protein, energy, vitamins, and minerals. Microwave processing results in biochemical changes through molecular transformation and chemical reactions within processed cereal products. These changes include gelatinization of starch, denaturation of proteins, modification of lipids, changes in functional properties such as starch crystallinity, granular morphology, and digestibility, and also effects onbiological properties like reduction in heat-labile toxic compounds, etc. These changes are associated with increasing mouth feel, structure modifications, and texture profile as well asincrease in nutrient availability, organoleptic properties, etc., in microwave processed cereal crops and cereal products.
