Can we increase the use of wheat and other cereals as sources of protein?

Wheat and other cereals are important sources of dietary protein and have the potential for exploitation to replace products based on animal proteins. However, grain protein contents are low, about 10–15%, compared to more protein-rich legumes and oilseeds. Grain protein content is determined by genetic and environmental factors, particularly nitrogen fertilisation, and is also inversely correlated with grain yield. Strategies to increase grain protein content are reviewed including exploiting genetic variation in the relationship between yield and protein content (grain protein deviation). The functional properties of cereal grains for processing are determined by the properties of the prolamin storage proteins, which include the gluten proteins of wheat. Understanding the structures and functional properties of these proteins will therefore facilitate their modification to generate a wider range of properties to extend the use of cereal proteins to replace animal proteins in food systems.