Journal of Cereal Science 51 (2010) 415
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Journal of Cereal Science
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jcs
Book Review
Principles of Cereal Science and Technology, J.A. Delcour,
R.C. Hoseney, third ed. AACC International (2010). 270
pp., $199, ISBN: 978-1-891127-63-2
The need for a concise and readable introduction to cereal
science and technology is demonstrated by the fact that the two
previous editions of this volume, published in 1986 and 1994,
together sold over 10,000 copies. In fact this volume, together
with Kent’s Technology of Cereals (also last revised in 1994) have
provided the standard text books for several generations of students
and practicing cereal scientists. However, massive advances in our
knowledge of cereal grain structure and properties have been
made over the past 15 years and an extensive revision was clearly
required. This has certainly been the case, with a complete make-
over in format as well as revision of the content. The change from
a 9  6 inch format to 10  8 inch, the use of colour throughout
and the improved quality of the figures and lay out make the volume
much easier to use and pleasant to read. The authors have also
omitted the lists of review questions at the end of each chapter,
which gave the feeling of reading a school textbook, and increased
the length of the ‘‘selected reading’’ lists which are included instead
of references to primary sources. Allowing for the changes in format
the length is approximately the same as in previous editions.
Despite its makeover the authors have retained essentially the
same scope and structure as in the second edition, making only
minor changes including combining two separate chapters on
doi:10.1016/j.jcs.2010.01.001
cereal proteins and gluten proteins, which is clearly sensible, and
changing the title of the chapter on ‘‘Soft wheat products’’ (i.e.,
cakes, cookies and biscuits) to ‘‘Chemically leavened products’’.
The order of the chapters has also been revised so that they now
flow more logically, Thus, an introduction to grain structure is fol-
lowed by chapters on composition (starch, proteins and minor
components), the physics of processing (rheology and glass transi-
tion), grain storage, processing (dry milling, wet processing, rice
and oat processing, malting and brewing) and products (yeast
and chemically leavened products, pasta and noodles, breakfast
cereals, snack foods and feeds). The text is clear and readable and
at a level suitable for scientists from other disciplines who wish
to learn more about cereal processing (such as myself) as well as
students. However, at $199 the volume is a little expensive for
students and the publishers may wish to consider cheaper paper-
back, or perhaps online, editions for this market.
The revised edition is a worthy successor to the first and second
editions and will be a clear first choice for all who require a broad
and readable account of modern cereal science and processing.
P.R. Shewry*
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden,
Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ,
United Kingdom
* Tel.: þ44 1582 763133; fax.: þ44 1582 763010.
E-mail address: peter.shewry@bbsrc.ac.uk