Enhanced wheat flour safety through impact treatment: Effective control of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Abstract

Pests such as Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) significantly threaten the storage quality of wheat flour, posing substantial preservation challenges. This study evaluated the effectiveness of impact insecticidal device on T. castaneum in wheat flour. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the impacts of treatment parameters on wheat flour, and the quality changes examined. Multiple-response optimization indicated that a feed rate (6 t/h), rotor speed (3500 r/min, ∼3400×g) and 2 impact treatments represented the optimal condition. Under these conditions, the survival rate of insect eggs in wheat flour was zero, with 41.33 fragments >0.15 mm, 11.67 fragments >0.20 mm, and a damaged starch content of 23.37 UCDc. The application of optimized parameters to infected wheat flour resulted in similar quality as compared to untreated sample. Further increasing the impact intensity would affect its processing properties. This research demonstrated the potentiality to achieve zero pest presence in wheat flour using impact insecticidal device while maintaining acceptable flour quality, thus providing a promising solution for the flour processing industry.