Mechanical Properties in Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Kernels Evaluated by Compression Tests: A Review

To assess the quality of food grains, it is necessary to consider the following two aspects: their general characteristics and their intrinsic quality. Analyzing the quality of wheat kernels is complex due to the particularity of wheat proteins and the diversity of products that can be developed. In contrast, basic factors are used to assess quality aspects, with a focus on kernel hardness. This parameter is usually measured by the force that is required to make the grain rupture. The application of force must be controlled, and hence, the grain will exhibit other mechanical attributes and behavioral characteristics that can be used to evaluate it more objectively. This has led to the development of nondestructive evaluation methods based on the mechanical properties of kernels. This review carried out research on grain wheat, in which the main objective was to evaluate mechanical properties, including the viscoelasticity of the wheat kernels, by using compression tests. The study examined different methods of applying those techniques and the parameters they evaluated. Finally, the results obtained by the different investigation groups that applied the compression tests on wheat kernels were discussed.