Canary seed is a true cereal with unique composition. The current study employed light and fluorescence
microscopy to visualise starch, protein, phenolics and phytate in hairless canary seed (CDC Maria), a cultivar
developed potentially for food use. Macronutrients, minerals and vitamins were evaluated in the
developed cultivar and compared with a commercial hairy canary seed, cv. Keet. A control common
wheat, cv. Katepwa, was grown adjacent to the canary seed varieties. The compositions of the two canary
seed varieties were found to be similar with an average of 55.8 g/100 g of starch, 23.7% g/100 g of protein,
7.9% of crude fat, 7.3 g/100 g of total dietary fibre, 1.8 g/100 g of soluble sugar and 2.3 g/100 g of total ash
in the whole grain. Regardless of the milling fraction (whole grain flour, white flour or bran), canary seed
had more protein and crude fat and less starch, total dietary fibre and soluble sugar than had wheat. It
also had higher concentrations of several minerals and vitamins than did wheat. The structure of the canary
seed grain exhibited compound starch granules and protein bodies embedded in a protein matrix
similar to that of the oat kernel. Baking tests showed that bread made with 100% hairless canary seed
flour was significantly lower in loaf volume and crust and crumb colour than was wheat bread. However,
bread with loaf volume, specific volume and crust colour comparable to those of the bread control was
achieved by using up to 25% of hairless canary seed or 15% of roasted canary seed flour, thus demonstrating
its potential for food applications.