Nutritional importance and effect of processing on tocols in cereals

Over the past decade greater consumer demand for nutritious cereal-based food products with minimal artificial additives has been met with increased research and development from the food industry. Recent research has highlighted the importance of tocols in human health and nutrition. Tocols are natural antioxidants present in food of plant origin, including cereals. Cereal and cereal-based foods (breakfast cereals, bread, cookies, extruded snacks, etc.) are common and widely consumed in many parts of the world. Available literature reveals that the level of tocols in a finished product depends upon the food processing operations carried out. For example, milling of cereal grains and subsequent baking may have a major impact on tocol levels in the final product. Food manufacturing procedures could incorporate the pearling by-products of cereals, which are rich in tocols, and hence increase the nutrition and health benefits of the end product (e.g. bread). In this study the role of tocols, from various cereal sources and cereal-based products, on human health are reviewed. Factors influencing levels and stability during processing and storage are also discussed.