Determination of insect infestation on stored rice by near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy
Among grains, rice is one of the most widely consumed cereals in the world; it represents a staple food in great part of Asia and Africa, and it is also broadly diffused in America and Europe. One of the main issues of storing rice is to protect it from animal attacks; in particular, it is prone to insect infestation. Despite all the attempts made to avoid it (developing new physical barriers, traps and repellants), often food pests manage to break into granary and parcels, contaminating stored commodities.