03 Apr Prolonged storage impairs the industrial quality of wheat: Measures to control it
लंबे समय तक भंडारण गेहूं की औद्योगिक गुणवत्ता खराब करता है: इसे नियंत्रित करने के लिए उपाय With the increasing ever growing global population, maintaining the nutritional quality of wheat is emerging as a crucial step forward. Nutritional deterioration starts right from the field before harvesting the crops to the storage and the final consumption (processing loss). The wheat grain contains 2-3% germ, 13-17% bran and 80-85% mealy endosperm. The wheat bran is mainly rich in fiber (53%), vitamin B complex and minerals which are lost from the starchy endosperm during the first stage of milling. The endosperm mainly contains energy-yielding starch. The germ lies at one end of the grain which is rich in proteins (25%) and lipids (8-13%). The production of wheat varies from year to year therefore the produce should be stored strategically from years of over production for the use in year of under production. The primary factors affecting the grain quality in storage are moisture, temperature and humidity of storage environment. The safe moisture content for storage of wheat is 12-14% at 25°C and 75% relative humidity. Other factors responsible for deterioration are poor containers/warehouses, feeding by rodents, insect pests and microorganisms. Improper post harvest storage of wheat grains can cause losses in both quantity and quality...