If the wheat germ is freshly prepared from wheat grains it will
not be bitter. However, wheat germ contains oils that quickly go
rancid as soon as the
grain is ground and the wheat germ separated out. It is the
rancid oils in stale wheat germ that cause the bitter taste. When
the wheat germ is rancid it no longer has any special nutritive
value. If a package of wheat germ is on sale, it is probably
because it went rancid and the store manager knows it.