Each type of cereal requires a specific post-harvest treatment, however, there are certain general principles that apply to most of them. Cereals undergo a number of processing stages between harvest and consumption. This chain of processes is often referred to as the total post-harvest system. The post-harvest system can be split into three distinct areas. The first is the preparation of harvested grain for storage. The second, which is referred to as primary processing, involves further treatment of the grain to clean it, remove the husk or reduce the size. The products from primary processing are still not consumable.