Abstract:
Green wheat is a traditional whole grain food in China with a history of more than 1, 000 years. It is growing in popularity in Middle Eastern countries and worldwide. It contains 14.90% protein, 12.88% dietary fiber and a large amount of vitamins and minerals, while starch and fat account for only 45.17% and 1.32%, respectively. Due to its low starch and high dietary fiber content, it is more suitable for people with diabetes and could replace staple food. Its nutritional value is much higher than wheat, and it also has great advantages in antioxidants. After harvesting, the green wheat was simply washed and quick-frozen at about -45℃, then stored at about -18℃ in order to inhibit microbial growth and prolong its shelf life. When making the green wheat cake, green wheat was thawed and cleaned. Then, the green wheat was vacuum freeze-dried and grounded into powder. Green wheat cake is a new type of whole grain cake which is obtained from green wheat flour and peeled mung bean flour (in the ratio of 7:3) by steaming in a steamer with xylitol, butter and so on. Microbial prediction technology was used to study green wheat cakes' microbial growth kinetic model, and on this basis, the shelf life of the green wheat cake was predicted. The growth of the total number of colonies and molds in the green wheat cake was determined at different storage time at 4, 15 and 25℃. According to the Gompertz model, the growth curve model of the total number of colonies and molds in the green wheat cake at 4, 15 and 25℃ was established. On this basis, the Belehradek secondary model was further established to study the influence of temperature on the growth kinetics of microorganisms in green wheat cake. Microbial growth kinetic parameters according to different models was calculated, and the growth law of microorganisms in the green wheat cake was judged. Then, the shelf life of the green wheat cake was predicted under different storage conditions. The results showed that the established model can predict the growth of microorganisms in green wheat cakes well. The results showed that the Gompertz model of the total number of colonies and molds stored in green wheat cakes at 4, 15 and 25℃ was fitted. The values of
R2 were greater than 0.980 0, therefore, the model fitted well. The minimum
R2 of the Belehradek second-level model was 0.868 7, indicating that the linear curves of temperature and
μm and
λ are suitable for the Belehradek second-level model. Through verification, all models can reliably and quickly predict the spoilage and remaining shelf life of green wheat cakes, thereby ensuring the edible quality and safety of green wheat cakes.