Study on the stabilization effect of continuous microwave on wheat germ

The purpose of this research is to study the stabilization effect of microwave on wheat germ using continuous microwave processing equipment. Results from the study indicated that microwave technique had a significant stabilization effect on wheat germ. When the on-line processing capacity of wheat germ was 20 kg/h, the optimal conditions for wheat germ stabilization were microwave power of 4 kW, the processing time of 8 min and ventilation rate of 60 N m3/h. Under such conditions, the residual lipase activity decreased to 14.01% of that of the raw wheat germ. The lipoxygenase lost its activity completely under such intensity microwave processing. After 60 days’ accelerated storage, the acid value increased only 6.56% of that of the stabilized wheat germ before storage. In addition, microwave could cause the death of harmful microorganisms. It was clear that the continuous microwave stabilization process was practicable for wheat germ stabilization.

► While ensuring the quality of wheat germ, microwave radiation inactivated lipase partially.
► While ensuring the quality of wheat germ, microwave inactivated lipoxygenase completely.
► Microwave inhibits the growth of microorganisms in wheat germ effectively.
► The key point for microwave stabilization of wheat germ is the decrease of water activity.
► This stabilization process is more practical than traditional microwave oven.