Li Wenbo, Yaninek John Stephen, Ambrose Kingsly, Baributsa Dieudonne
Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Foods. 2025 Feb 7;14(4):548. doi: 10.3390/foods14040548.
Postharvest grain losses often result from insect infestations. Hermetic storage creates airtight conditions that limit insect survival. However, oxygen depletion can be slow during hermetic storage, leading to a loss of grain quality and market value. Oxygen scavengers offer a solution to accelerate oxygen depletion. This study evaluated hand warmers as a cost-effective alternative to commercial oxygen scavengers. Experiments in sealed empty 4-gallon glass jars with 10-h hand warmers depleted oxygen faster and more cost-effectively than those with 2000 cc Oxy-Sorb oxygen absorbers. One hand warmer depleted similar amounts of oxygen as two Oxy-Sorb oxygen absorbers and reached the 5% threshold for pest suppression in 48 h. A follow-up study found that oxygen levels in empty 4-gallon jars dropped faster than in grain-filled 25-kg hermetic bags, with jars containing two or three hand warmers reaching the 5% threshold in the first 6 h. Temperature remained constant regardless of the number of hand warmers. At the same time, the relative humidity rose in empty jars but stayed stable in grain-filled hermetic bags, with no effect on grain quality. Hand warmers can potentially serve as cost-effective alternatives to commercial oxygen scavengers in hermetic storage.
收获后谷物损失往往是由虫害造成的。气密储存营造了限制昆虫生存的密封条件。然而，气密储存过程中氧气消耗可能较慢，导致谷物品质和市场价值下降。氧气清除剂提供了一种加速氧气消耗的解决方案。本研究评估了暖手宝作为商业氧气清除剂的一种经济高效的替代品。在装有10小时暖手宝的密封4加仑空玻璃罐中进行的实验，比装有2000立方厘米Oxy-Sorb氧气吸收剂的实验消耗氧气更快且更具成本效益。一个暖手宝消耗的氧气量与两个Oxy-Sorb氧气吸收剂相当，并在48小时内达到抑制害虫的5%阈值。一项后续研究发现，4加仑空罐中的氧气水平下降速度比装有25千克谷物的气密袋更快，装有两个或三个暖手宝的罐子在前6小时内达到了5%的阈值。无论暖手宝数量多少，温度都保持恒定。与此同时，空罐中的相对湿度上升，但在装有谷物的气密袋中保持稳定，对谷物品质没有影响。在气密储存中，暖手宝有可能作为商业氧气清除剂的经济高效替代品。
