Studies on the processing of wheat germ.

One of the most important post-war aims is a more adequate diet for all people. To achieve this, the production of each dietary essential will need to be carefully considered and the production of some commodities may have to be greatly increased if more people are to be adequately fed from approximately the same acreage. This investigation has sought to make cereal germs more acceptable as a human food and thereby to make available a rich source of the B-vitamins and a large amount of highest quality protein in addition to fat and vitamin E. The cereal germs have an additional significance in economy of production since they are plant products which do not need to be transformed by animals to give these important dietary essentials. The germs of wheat and corn are the most important from the standpoint of quantity available. Both are by-products of the milling industry and are used as animal feed, generally as components of the bran and in limited amounts as a source of oil. This investigation was confined to studies on wheat germ. The annual production of wheat germ, as such, in the States is estimated to be 30 to 50 million pounds. However, the present milling yield of about 0.5% indicates a potential production of about 150 million pounds of germ (35). The wheat kernel is reported (2) to contain 2.2 - 3.0% of germ and therefore it is possible that, in the future, the milling yield and hence the potential production of wheat germ may be greatly increased. [...