NUTRITIONAL, CHEMICAL AND RHEOLOGICAL STUDIES ON FLOUR AND ITS PRODUCTS INFESTED WITH INSECTS

Abstract

Wheat flour is represent a significant worldwide food. In many Asian and African countries (including Egypt), the majority of flour are stored in open shounas and/or shades. Under such conditions, flour are subjected to attack by various biological factors such as pest insects. In Egypt, the total losses may amount to 45,333,333 kilograms/year. The poor farmers in these countries, may use flour infested with pest insects • in their bread and other paking products Sakha 69 wheat kernals was obtained from Shebin EIKom market, Menoufia Governorate, Egypt during the 1996 harvesting period. The collected samples was transported to the laboratory, examined for insects infestation and pesticides residues occure, and milling to obtain the wheat flours 82 and 72% extraction. Flours were infested with beetle Tribolium confusum, Jacquelindu val, (Tenebrionidae: Coleoptera) for • various time periods 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks. After each time period, the samples were prepared for chemical, nutritional, rheological and toxicological analysis. The obtained results could be summarized in the following: