Food Storage News

A method of coating grains and beans with ordinary vegetable oil is promising to help members in tropical climates store food successfully. Professor John M. Hill, of BYU’s College of Food Science and Nutrition, who is sponsored by the Benson Institute recently spent six months in Cali, Colombia. It was there he worked with food storage problems as well as other nutritional programs.

Dr. Hill worked with Dr. Aart Van Schoonhoven at CIAT, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, on a new way of storing grains and beans using oil. Also, at the request of the mission president, he helped implement food storage practices designed for the tropics among Church members in Colombia.

“The work at CIAT,” says Dr. Hill, “is exciting especially because the oil treatment of beans and grains against insect infestation can be used by individuals quite easily in their own homes.” At CIAT, Dr. Van Schoonhoven discovered that beans and grains treated with vegetable oil killed insects in the grain plus prevented further infestation. Dr. Hill worked with separating the components of the oil to discover what specific component of the oil was the most effective against insects and how much oil was needed on various grains against specific insects. “We found that it is the triglycerides and oleic acid in vegetable oil that kills the insects,” says Dr. Hill, “although we don’t know specifically how they are killed. At first, we thought the insects may be suffocating, but further tests showed that this was not the case. Somehow the ingredients in the oil interfere with metabolic processes of the insects, causing death. Also, grains that have been oil treated do not become reinfested.”

Dr. Hill goes on to explain, “This means that treating grains with vegetable oil will eliminate fumigation, dry ice treatments, and heating to kill insects. It’s simple and any kind of vegetable oil is effective. It will be a particularly valuable method for food storage in the tropics where insects are a major problem, although it is effective in any climate.”

Method

Any type of vegetable oil (peanut, corn, etc.) is effective in preparing grain or beans for storage. The grain or beans should be put in a container with a lid. The oil is then added, the lid closed, and the container rolled until the oil coats the grain. The grain does not need to be soaked in oil, just a coating is all that is needed. Then the grain or beans can be transferred to a storage container.

The storage container cannot be cloth because the oil would be absorbed into the cloth. A sturdy container that would protect the grain from moisture is needed. The oil does become rancid, but the coating of oil involved is such a small amount that it will not affect the taste of the grain or beans. The oil will kill any insects in the grain or beans and will protect against further infestation.

This method is especially recommended for tropical climates and in areas where beans are a staple of the diet. For example, in Guatemala the price of beans fluctuates quite a bit with the lowest prices being at harvest time. If a family could buy a year’s supply of beans at harvest, treat it with oil, and store it for use when the bean prices increase, they could save as much as two-thirds on their food bill for the year.