There are approximately 50 species of oats belonging to the family Poaceae. Oats have been cultivated throughout
Europe and the Middle East for the past 4500 years as a food crop and as feed for cattle. In addition to the use of oat
grain in cereals and processed foods, the plant portion may be used for hay, as silage, and as bedding material for
livestock. Furfural, a chemical derived from the covering of the oat grain, is used as a solvent in various types of
industrial refining processes.
