New Book Outlines Best Practices for Stored Grains

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Many of the world’s leading experts on food and commodity storage have combined their efforts in a new publication that is now available from Kansas State University.

The book, Stored Product Protection, provides the industry’s most updated guidelines for safely storing durable food (or, food not needing refrigeration) and raw commodities, as well as managing the pests that can potentially contaminate stored foods.

“The book is written for individuals involved with grain storage, commodity storage and management, food storage and processing, and pest management,” said Tom Phillips, the book’s co-editor and professor of entomology at K-State.

“It can also be used as a training manual for certification of those who handle and store U.S. grain and value-added durable food products.”

The book contains 31 chapters and 350 pages, covering such topics as biology and ecology of insects, molds and vertebrates in storage systems; pests of grains and legumes, dried fruit and nuts; prevention and monitoring of pests; economics; regulations; marketing of stored commodities; insect-resistant packaging; and more.

Phillips says it is “the most comprehensive manual on stored product protection in the world.” The book’s authors come from across the United States and several other countries.

“This publication will raise the industry’s and the public’s understanding of stored product management, including its vital role in the quality of our food supply,” said retired K-State entomology professor and co-editor David Hagstrum.

The book expands on a 1995 publication from Oklahoma State University, Stored Product Management. That book’s editor, Gerrit Cuperus, also is a co-editor on this new project.

Copies of Stored Product Protection are available from the K-State Research and Extension bookstore by calling 785-532-5830, or send email to orderpub@ksre.ksu.edu. The cost is $35; reference publication number S-156.

The publication can also be viewed and printed online for free at http://entomology.k-state.edu/department-info/publications/stored-product-protection.html