Juliano (1972) claimed that the optimal germination period was
only 18–24 h. Capanzana and Buckle (1997) might not have considered
the microbial contamination or sprout length, which may
contribute to the relatively long germination period. Importantly,
extended period of germination induce microbial growth and
cause excessive growth of root and sprout, often rendering GBR
unsuitable as food material.
Regular rinsing during soaking and atmospheric germination is
effective in retarding microorganism growth and off-flavor formation.
Furthermore, altering the composition of rinsing solution,
such as chitosan solutions or electrolyzed waters was suggested
to retard the growth of microorganisms (Lu et al., 2010; Oh &
Choi, 2000). Besides germination rate and microbial contamination,
metabolic changes in bio-functional components should also
be considered for the production of GBR.