Grain admixtures
These are grains of the main crop that differ from sound, mature grains due to physical damage, immaturity, or biological degradation, but are not classified as foreign matter.
Также говорят: grain impurities, defective kernels
Grain admixtures consist of sprouted, shriveled, crushed, or heat-damaged kernels of the same crop. Quantifying these impurities is a standard procedure at grain elevators to determine the quality grade and the commercial value of the incoming harvest.
High levels of grain admixtures are detrimental to long-term storage stability. These kernels have weaker physical structures, making them prone to fungal growth and rapid oxidation, which increases the overall respiration rate of the bulk and poses a risk of hot spots.
A common error is insufficient sampling across the shipment, which leads to inaccurate assessments of the storage potential. Producers must monitor these levels closely during the cleaning process to minimize financial losses and ensure compliance with food safety standards.