Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium): An innovative and sustainable ingredient in cereal-based foods

Intermediate wheatgrass (IWG, Thinopyrum intermedium) is a perennial grain that offers a novel solution for advancing sustainable agriculture and food production. Unlike annual cereals, IWG is a deep-rooted, long-lived species that provides significant environmental benefits including enhanced soil health, reduced erosion, improved carbon sequestration, and lower input requirements. This chapter explores the potential of IWG as a sustainable and nutritionally valuable ingredient in cereal-based foods. It provides a comprehensive review of IWG's physical, compositional, functional, and nutritional properties, emphasizing key advantages such as higher dietary fiber, protein, and phenolic contents compared to traditional cereals. Special attention is given to starch and protein characteristics, dietary fiber profiles, lipid composition, and micronutrient concentrations, including vitamins and minerals. The effects of various processing technologies-such as extrusion, steam explosion, and germination-on the techno-functional properties of IWG are discussed, highlighting opportunities to enhance its end-use performance. Its application in bakery products is critically evaluated, with a focus on dough rheology, gluten functionality, and breadmaking quality. Despite challenges associated with its weaker gluten network, IWG demonstrates strong potential for use in products such as flatbreads, cookies, pasta, and as a partial substitute for common wheat in high volume breads. By combining ecological resilience with health-promoting nutritional attributes, IWG stands out as a promising ingredient for next-generation cereal products aligned with global sustainability, nutrition, and regenerative agriculture goals.