This book is part of the continuing series of proceedings on applications of magnetic resonance to food science. The aim of the book is to bring the reader up-to-date with the state-of-the-art of the subject. The authors are from Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia giving a global perspective to the subject. The range of the book is broad covering sensory science, authenticity, functionality, solid state methods and new methods.

Today, at the beginning of the third millenium, just three cereal grains - wheat, rice and maize - dominate the world's food supply, accounting for some 75 % of all grains produced. This food "oligoculture" poses some risks for the future of humankind. The risk of catastrophic food crop failure through insect pests or fungal diseases is ever greater as genetic diversity is reduced. The introduction of genetically modified cereals may exacerbate this situation, as different speeies will share the same genes conferring resistance to pests. The intensive cultivation practices needed to produce...