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Laboratory studies on vacuum and inert gas packing for the control of stored‐product insects in foodstuffs
Author(s) -
New John H,
Rees David P
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740430306
Subject(s) - bostrichidae , larva , callosobruchus maculatus , vacuum packing , polyethylene , biology , horticulture , zoology , food science , toxicology , botany , materials science , pest analysis , composite material
Cowpeas, wheat flour and wheat grain infested with various developmental stages of, respectively, Callosobruchus maculatus (F) (Col: Bruchidae), Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Col: Tenebrionidae) and Rhyzopertha dominica (F) (Col: Bostrichidae) were packed under vacuum or in CO 2 or N 2 atmospheres in plastic laminate pouches. After holding for up to 35 days the packs were opened and their contents incubated to allow survival to be assessed. Almost all eggs of C maculatus were killed when vacuum packed at chamber pressures of II kPa or less and held under vacuum for 14 days, whereas about 7% of young larvae survived these conditions. In contrast, R dominica was more difficult to control when packed as eggs; about 10 % and 2% of eggs laid survived to adulthood after two weeks following packing at II kPa and 0·9 kPa, respectively, whereas larvae and adults were all killed. Populations of T castaneum eggs, larvae and adults were effectively controlled by vacuum packing at 11 kPa and holding for 7 days. None of the insects tested survived being packed in a CO 2 or N 2 atmosphere and held for periods ranging from 4 to 14 days. Many C maculatus survived vacuum and gas treatments when polyethylene film was used as packaging material. Control failures also occurred when pouches were punctured either by the commodity or by insects.