5 Storage and Pre-processing Storage relative difficulties involved in their avoidance vary with location. Successful storage methods Compared with many other fruits, cereal grains are extremely amenable to storage, principally as range from primitive to highly sophisticated their moisture content at harvest is relatively low The hazards besetting cereal grain storage are: and their composition is such that biodeteriora-- moisture content; tion is slow. Harvesting is seasonal but the need -excessive temperature; for fresh cereal products is continuous. The least Anicrobial infestation; requirement for storage, therefore, is for the -insect and arachnid infestation; period between harvests. Under appropriate con- -rodent predation; ditions this can easily be met and indeed storage bird predation; for many years without serious loss of quality is biochemical deterioration; possible. Even in biblical times long periods of -mechanical damage through handling. storage were apparently achieved In spite of the diversity of cereal grain types The complexity of storage problems results and the ambient conditions throughout the cereal from the matrix of interactions of the various producing and consuming world the hazards of hazards. They are considered separately in the storage are fundamentally similar although the text but their combined effects, some of which Increose Grain Insects, Fungi arachnids Respiration Charring Heat Dry matter Water Caking loss Increose FIG 5.1 Schematic diagram of the cumulative effects of grain storage at moisture contents above the safe levels. The effects on stored grain itself are shown in bold type. 103Charrlng Heo t Water Caking I Dry matter loss1