EVALUATION OF FOUR SORGHUM HYBRIDS THROUGH THE ...

Introduction:
An estimated 1-2 percent of adults and 4-8 percent of children suffer from food
allergies (Lehrer and others 2002). There are eight major food allergens responsible for
about 90% of food allergies. The eight major food allergens are: milk, eggs, fish,
Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans (U.S. Federal Department of
Agriculture 2004). With wheat being one of the major food allergens, the need for
wheat-free foods has been observed. Furthermore, wheat is a gluten-containing grain that
poses a threat to those with celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune
inflammatory disease of the upper small intestine resulting from the ingestion of gluten in
genetically susceptible individuals (Case 2006).
In 2003, the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research in Baltimore,
conducted a study that found that 1 out of 133 Americans have celiac disease. More
recent estimates are 1:100 Americans are affected by this disease (Case 2006). The
increase in prevalence of celiac disease has caused a bigger demand for gluten-free
products. From 2004 to 2005 alone, sales of gluten-free foods increased 14.6% or 77.8
million dollars (University of Chicago Celiac Disease Program 2006).
With an increasing number of people being diagnosed with celiac disease and the
market for gluten-free products thriving, there is a perfect opportunity to create new
products using sorghum. Sorghum is a gluten-free cereal grain grown world-wide.
According to the U.S. Grains Council (2008), grain sorghum is the fifth most important
cereal crop grown in the world. In the U.S., grain sorghum is the third most important.
In 2006, the United States produced 393.7 million bushels of sorghum. Of the U.S.
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