Sprouting induces activation and de novo synthesis of hydrolytic enzymes that make nutrients available for plant growth and development. Consumption of sprouted grains is suggested to be beneficial for human health. Positive consumer perceptions about sprouted cereals have resulted in new food and beverage product launches. However, because there is no generally accepted definition of “sprouting,” it is unclear when grains are to be called sprouted. Moreover, guidelines about how much sprouted grain material food products should contain to exert health benefits are currently lacking. Accordingly, there is no regulatory base to develop appropriate food labeling for “sprouted foods.” This review describes the nutritional and technological properties of sprouted grains in relation to processing conditions and provides guidelines to optimize sprouting practices in order to maximize nutritive value. Relatively long sprouting times (3 to 5 days) and/or high processing temperatures (25 to 35 °C) are needed to maximize the de novo synthesis and/or release of plant bioactive compounds. Nutrient compositional changes resulting from sprouting are often associated with health benefits. However, supportive data from clinical studies are very scarce, and at present it is impossible to draw any conclusion on health benefits of sprouted cereals. Finally, grains sprouted under the above‐mentioned conditions are generally unfit for use in traditional food processing and it is challenging to use sprouted grains as ingredients without compromising their nutrient content. The present review provides a basis for better defining what “sprouting” is, and to help further research and development efforts in this field as well as future food regulations development.

Priming improves the seed germination rate and grain yield. Before this work was executed, little, if any, research has been reported on priming wheat for improving its nutritional properties. The impact of hydro-priming and osmo-priming using solutions with different water potentials on selected hydrolytic enzyme activities and their breakdown of starch, cell wall materials, and phytates during subsequent sprouting was studied here. A higher germination rate in the early growth stage of seedlings was found for hydro-primed or osmo-primed (−0.3, −0.6 MPa) grains. Hydro-primed sprouted grains had the longest radicles and coleoptiles and the highest hydrolytic enzyme activities. The latter lead to a 90% increase in reducing sugar, a 20% increase in water-extractable arabinoxylan, and an 8% decrease in phytate contents after 5 days of sprouting. This study thus offers opportunities for optimizing agricultural practice. The presence of different plant hormones and their concentrations are generally not affected by priming. However, the plant hormone concentrations in grains primed at −1.2 MPa and subsequently sprouted were lower than those in all other samples under study. The induction of too high osmotic stresses in these grains leads to disruption of the sprouting processes. Finally, it was for the first time found, based on the known biosynthesis pathways of wheat, that gibberellic acid (GA)20-oxidase in (primed) sprouted wheat is more active than GA3-oxidase and much more active than GA13-oxidase.