title: Effect of ozone treatment on the safety and quality of malting barley.
abstract: Molds and their mycotoxins are an expensive problem for the malting and brewing industries. Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin that is associated with Fusarium spp. These fungi frequently cause Fusarium head blight in wheat and barley in the midwestern region of the United  States; Manitoba, Canada; Europe; and China. Barley growers and malt producers would benefit from a postharvest control method for mold growth and DON production. We evaluated the use of gaseous ozone (O(3)) for preventing Fusarium growth and mycotoxin production while maintaining  malt quality characteristics. Micromalting was performed in three replications under standard conditions. Ozone treatment was applied to malting barley during steeping via a submerged gas sparger. Ozone treatment conditions were 26 mg/cm(3) for 120 min after 2 and 6 h of steeping.  The effects of gaseous ozone on DON, aerobic plate counts, Fusarium infection, and mold and yeast counts of barley throughout the malting process were measured. Various quality parameters of the malt were measured after kilning. Statistical tools were used to determine the significance  of all results. Ozonation of malting barley during steeping did not lead to significant reductions in aerobic plate counts but did lead to a 1.5-log reduction in mold and yeast counts in the final malt. The influence of gaseous ozone on DON concentration was inconclusive because of the low  initial concentrations of DON in the barley. Ozone significantly reduced Fusarium infection in germinated barley. Gaseous ozone did not negatively influence any aspect of malt quality and may have subtle beneficial effects on diastatic power and β-glucan concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Great Plains Institute of Food Safety, Department 7640, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58108-6050, USA.
authors.forename: James G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Dodd
authors.forename: Anuradha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vegi
authors.forename: Ashwini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vashisht
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tobias
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: Charlene E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Wolf-Hall
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005670:Fusarium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D001467:Hordeum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D010126:Ozone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014255:Trichothecenes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D014255:Trichothecenes; D010126:Ozone; C007262:deoxynivalenol