The application of advanced analytical techniques in ensuring quality, nutrition, and safety of cereal-based food

Cereals and cereal-based foods are fundamental to global nutrition, providing essential macronutrients and micronutrients that support food security. Ensuring their quality, nutrition, and safety is impacted by factors such as contamination, adulteration, and nutrient degradation during processing and storage. Advanced analytical techniques have emerged as powerful tools to address these challenges, offering innovative solutions for detecting contaminants, optimizing nutritional value, and ensuring food safety. This chapter explores the application of these techniques, including spectroscopy, chromatography, molecular biology, and omics technologies, in the cereal-based food systems. Spectroscopy and chromatography enable rapid and precise detection of chemical contaminants and adulterants, while molecular biology methods like PCR and DNA barcoding ensure product authenticity. Omics approaches, such as lipidomics, proteomics, and flavoromics, provide comprehensive insights into the molecular composition and functional properties of cereals, facilitating the development of high-quality, nutritious products. Emerging technologies, including nanotechnology and artificial intelligence, further enhance the efficiency and accuracy of cereal safety monitoring. By integrating these advanced methods, the cereal research field can address existing challenges, ensuring the production of safe, high-quality, and nutritious cereal-based foods to meet global dietary needs.