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The 17th International Cereal and Bread Congress (ICBC) will explore the latest innovations and trends in cereal science and technology, with a focus on promoting healthy cereal-based diets from sustainable food systems. Topics of interest include plant breeding, food quality and safety analysis, and the use of new raw materials and ingredients in cereal product development.
Please find below a list of topics for which we welcome abstracts:
The following topics will frame ICBC24:
| Topic Name | Expected Contribution | |
| 1 | Agricultural policy, global supply chain and trade of cereals | This topic will explore the latest developments in agricultural policies and regulations related to the global supply chain and trade of cereals. Discussions will include issues such as food security, market access, and trade agreements. Speakers will also address the economic and environmental impacts of these policies. |
| 2 | Sustainable agriculture and food chain systems | This topic will focus on sustainable agricultural practices and food chain systems, including agroecology, crop associations, grain storage, and circular economy applications. Speakers will present studies on multi-criteria optimization, assessment, and decision-making for sustainable agriculture. Catering issues and new value chains, including by-products and waste processing, will also be discussed. |
| 3 | Grain Breeding and Climate Change | This topic will cover new breeding techniques and molecular tools used to develop crops that can resist diseases, adapt to climate changes, reduce fertilizer and pesticide use, and improve or stabilize technological and nutritional quality. The development of resilient crops to face the challenges of a changing climate will be a key focus of this topic |
| 4 | Alternative grain crops to face global challenges | This topic will cover alternative grain crops, such as pulses, and their potential to tackle global challenges like food security, sustainability, and climate change. The latest research on breeding, agronomy, and processing of these crops, as well as their nutritional and functional properties, will be discussed. |
| 5 | Cereal nutrition for health-conscious consumers | This topic will examine the health benefits of cereal foods for consumers, including whole grain products, high-fiber grain-based foods, low glycemic index products, and cereal dietary fiber and microbiome. Speakers will also address allergies, protein digestibility, and wheat sensitivities and gluten intolerance in cereal grains and products. Nutritional supplementation of cereal foods, such as protein, minerals, and micro-nutrients, will also be discussed. |
| 6 | Wholegrains, their definition and utilization in foods | This topic will focus on the health benefits of whole grain products and the challenges of incorporating them into food products due to consumer acceptability, processing, and product quality issues. Speakers will present studies on the nutritional effects of whole grains and solutions to improve the sensory, processability, and quality of products. |
| 7 | Conventional cereal processing technologies: milling, bread making, biscuits, pasta, etc. | This topic will cover all processes involving significant mass and energy transfers and their impact on food structure and properties. Speakers will present studies involving both experimental and modeling aspects of cereal processing technology. Works dealing with kinetics of food changes, incorporating non-cereal components, and improving the quality of cereal products will also be considered. |
| 8 | Non-conventional and emerging cereal technologies | This topic will cover non-thermal and bio-processes, including microbiological agents and safety. Speakers will present studies on the re-investigation of traditional processes such as pasta, biscuits, noodles, malting, sprouting, and ethnic foods, especially at small scale. Clean label trends, such as additive replacement by more eco-friendly ingredients, and minimal processing, such as precision fermentation, will also be discussed. |
| 9 | Analytical methods for quality determination and grain characterization | This topic will cover cereal grain and flour characterization and methodological issues related to quality determination. Speakers will present new analytical methods and improvements in data treatment, as well as online methods and new methods to evaluate whole grain products. |
| 10 | Food safety | This topic will cover all aspects concerning food safety of cereals, including detection and treatment to avoid/mitigate the presence of mycotoxins, acrylamide, pesticides, and other contaminants. |
| 11 | Consumer perception of grain-based foods | This topic will address product acceptability and changes in market share of cereal products. Speakers will discuss consumer preferences and attitudes towards grain-based foods, as well as the role of marketing and branding in shaping consumer behavior. |
| 12 | Cereal future, innovation in teaching and learning, innovation and management | Applications of artificial intelligence (not only Big Data and industry 4.0) are expected. Development of Web applications for stakeholders or consumers can be considered. Besides usual training experiences, digital resources (MOOCs for instance) for training and knowledge transfer to cereal industry purpose. |
| 13 | Specific session | To be defined |