Storage, Handling,

and Pre-Processing
of Cereals
FT 81: CEREAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ABBIE GLENN M. ESTRIBILLO, MSc.
Harvesting is seasonal
but the need for fresh
cereal products is
continuous throughout
the year
In commercial context

 Functions of storage facilities:

1. Holding stocks on the farm prior to sale,
2. Centralization before distribution or processing during the
year following harvest,
3. Storage of annual surpluses over a longer period
STORAGE FACILITIES
Should provide protection
against
1. Dampness caused by weather,
leakage, and other
microorganisms
2. Destructively high temperatures
3. Infestations from insects, rodents,
birds
4. Objectionable odors and
contaminants
5. Unauthorized disturbance and
theft
 STORAGE FACILITIES
 Simplest type: unprotected piles on
the ground
 Short term
 Underground storage
 Provide protection from temperature
fluctuations
 Usually used in hot, dry regions
 E. g. Hermetic storage
 Containers or vessels are filled, with a
little air space, and then sealed
STORAGE FACILITIES

 Ventilated storage
 Humid regions – the crop must be stored before reaching a safe level of
moisture
Grain storage in the Philippines

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXu8oILD0cs

Reflection Paper (Assignment)

Answer this questions:
1. Describe the current type of storage facility that the small farmers use in
the Philippines or in your locality.
2. What do you think is the reason/s why traditional farmers have resistance
against the use of new technologies to improve postharvest practices of
rice and corn grains?
 Common maize storage on subsistence
farms in Malawi, and in fact much of
Africa, c.2015.
Deterioration
During Storage
  Excessive moisture content
Excessive temperature
Microbial infestation
Insect and arachnid infestation
Storage
Rodent predation
Hazards Bird predation
Biochemical deterioration
Mechanical damage through
handling
Effects of
moisture
content and
storage
temperature
 1. RESPIRATION
Changes  The process of respiration in plants involves using
the sugars produced during photosynthesis plus
in the 
oxygen to produce energy for plant growth;
Depletes O2 and increases CO2 in the

grains 
atmosphere
Long storage results to loss of weight of grains

during
storage
Changes in the grains during storage

2. GERMINATION
 The natural process of development of
a new generation of plant;
 involves the initiation of growth of the
embryo into a plantlet
 Roots develop from the radicle, and
leaves and stem develop from the
plumule.
 Hydrolytic enzymes are released, and
nutrients are used up by the grains itself
 Can lead to excessive mold growth
 1. MICROBIAL INFESTATION
Other causes  Cereal grains have natural microbial load
that consist of bacteria, fungi, molds, and
of yeasts which can proliferate especially if
conditions are adequate
deterioration  Causes production of more heat
of cereal and water
Can produce metabolites and/or
grains

toxins that are stable even after
processing the grains
2. INSECTS AND ARACHNIDS
 Common insects: beetles or moths
 Causes hollow grains
 Excreta causes discoloration in flours
 Other by-products causes quality loss
 May also damage storage facilities (pipes,
columns, walls
3. VERTEBRATE PESTS – RODENTS AND BIRDS
 Consumes grains
 Excreta causes spoilage
 May bring pathogenic microorganisms
 May also damage storage facilities (pipes, columns, walls)
Quality Grain:

•low moisture content,

•low mold count,
•freedom from insects (all
•discussed earlier)
CONTROL OF PESTS AND GRAIN
SPOILAGE DURING STORAGE
1. Storage vessel/building should provide
adequate protection
2. Temperature should be kept ambient or low
and variation kept minimal
3. Artificial atmospheric control - Oxygen level in
the storage area can be lowered;
4. Chemical treatments against insects and pests
PRE-PROCESSING
TREATMENTS
DRYING

 To lower moisture content

 Simplestmethod: laying the grains in the
ground to sun-dry with frequent turning of
the grains
 More sophisticated methods: use of
artificial heated air or surfaces
SEPARATION/CLEANING

IMPURITIES METALS PLANT STONES UNWANTED

PARTS SPECIES
DAMPLING/CONDITIONING

 Controlled addition of moisture

 Conditioning improves the milling qualities of grain
because the coats become more viscous and
elastic than the endosperm and thereby may be
removed more easily.
 It also improves the bread-baking properties of flour,
owing to the action of heat on the protein complex
of the moistened grain.
 In addition, the gluten becomes more pliable, and
enzyme activity increases—a beneficial factor in the
fermentation of dough.
end