The Iberoamerican crops are underutilized and cultivation levels are low, but, recently, their worldwide demand has significant increased, resulting in a production increase as well as a price increase. For many years this valuable seeds have been widely recognized by food scientists and food producers because of their nutritional value. They contain high‐quality proteins, some contain abundant amounts of starch and/or fibre (with unique characteristics), large quantities of micronutrients such as minerals, vitamins and bioactive compounds, moreover they are gluten free, which makes them suitable for people suffering from gluten intolerances/allergies. For these reasons, the Iberoamerican Valuable Seeds interest has immensely increased, since the last decades the research efforts have been intensified.
This book summarizes the Abstracts of the II International Ia ValSe-Food, Development of Food Ingredients from Iberoamerican Ancestral Crops and V Symposium of Chia-Kink Network was held in the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), 20-21 October, Lisbon, Portugal. This book gathers the recent investigations of la ValSe-Food Group on these valuable seeds and other crops, and provides comprehensive and up‐to‐date knowledge within all the relevant fields of food science. It provides information on production and utilization, structure and chemical composition, paying special attention to carbohydrates, fibres, bioactive compounds, proteins and lipids of kernels and other parts of the plants. It includes their process, various food products and applications, and the nutritional and health implications.
We hope that this book will contribute to the increased utilization of the Iberoamerican Valuable Seeds in human nutrition.

Isabel Castanheira
Claudia Monika Haros