Improving starch and fibre in wheat grain for human health

Reducing the prevalence of diet-related diseases, including obesity and type 2 diabetes, is a major challenge for health professionals, food manufacturers and governments in both developed and developing countries. Cereals are key targets in meeting this challenge as they are staple foods throughout the world and major sources of energy (derived principally from starch) and dietary fibre. Wheat is the staple cereal in the UK and Europe, and the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)-supported Designing Future Wheat programme is focused on manipulating the content and composition of starch and fibre to improve health impacts, including reducing the glycaemic response and improving fermentation in the colon. This work is contributing to the development of improved cultivars by breeders and foods by processors. It is also increasing our understanding of the behaviour of these components in the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract and will contribute to the establishment of targets and recommendations for regulatory authorities.