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NANCY AMES IS A CEREAL RESEARCH SCIENTIST WITH AGRICULTURE AND
Agri-Food Canada, and holds degrees in crop science, plant science and food science.
She is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Human Nutritional Sciences,
Faculty of Human Ecology, at the University of Manitoba. Ames serves on several indus-
try committees for oats and barley, including as chair of the oat quality evaluation com-
mittee for the Prairie Grain Development Committee in Western Canada. She is a regular
contributor to scientific journals, and recently authored two chapters for the book
Oats
Nutrition and Technology.
Ames works closely with cereal breeders and the cereal industry
to add value to cereal grains, and to improve both market opportunities for producers and
the health of consumers. She has been instrumental in promoting the health benefits of
cereal grains.
GrainsWest
: What are you researching?
Ames:
My research focuses on the nutri-
tion and quality of oats, barley and wheat,
and the genetic, environmental and pro-
cessing factors that affect overall value. I
work with other researchers and the grain
industry to develop wheat, oat and barley
cultivars with added-value processing and
improved end-product quality, and to de-
velop methods to predict quality character-
istics of the raw and processed product.
GW
: Are Canadian researchers at an
advantage in addressing some of these
issues?
Ames:
Canada is known for producing
high-quality grain, which is a result of
a strong research base in cereal science
and breeding. We have strong multidis-
ciplinary teams of researchers that can ad-
dress most of the questions that come up
about wheat varieties, genetic changes over
time, GMO questions, composition and
quality aspects, as well as nutritional
effects of wheat or gluten on health.
The history and detailed genetics
of wheat cultivars grown in Western
Canada is well documented. This
information gives us an advantage and
perhaps branding capability in that we
know where our wheat comes from.
We know why each new variety was
developed and what the main benefit
of the development was.
GW
: What’s next in terms of wheat,
nutritionally?
Ames:
I am excited about research
related to the healthfulness of wheat—
the whole grain and the bran layers.
There are lots of opportunities in
terms of combating issues like obesity
and diabetes. We need to look at the
healthful components in wheat along
with opportunities for improving whole
grains and whole-grain products. Also,
Cereal
Booster
Wheat and barley expert Nancy Ames wants
consumers to know thewhole story around gluten
by Lauren Comin • Photography by LEIF NORMAN
Winter
2014
grainswest.com
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