Ozone for grain treatment
When it comes to grain treatment system there are a lot of chemicals and insecticides. And ozone is the best option to eliminate the use of chemicals and insecticides in grain treatment. Ozone is a natural chemical-free option.
Want to see how ozone can reduce the use of chemical in farming? Learn more below!
Pesticide resistance and the increased demand for organic grains, makes food manufacturers and grain handlers are looking for new ways to control insects, pathogens and pests in stored commodities.
On average, about 10 to 18% of grain stored is lost because of pests, which can be avoided with the ozone application. There are many studies that prove this fact.
Ozone is a powerful oxidant and is used as a disinfectant and antimicrobial agent for many applications.
Actually, it becomes very familiar in the food processing industry as a treatment to disinfect and to eliminate odors, taste and color.
It has been used to treat a range of food products such as fresh products (e.g., fruit and vegetables), dairy products (e.g., fluid milk, powdered milk, and cheese), juices (e.g., apple and orange juices), and also, food grain products (e.g., wheat flour), always ensuring the food safety.
Ozone has been proven to be an effective agent for grain preservation since it provides mycotoxin destruction, insect killing, and microbial inactivation. storage insects such as Tribolium castaneum and Sitophilus zeamais in maize and Tribolium confusum in wheat can be largely eliminated by ozone.
How does it work?
Ozone is a high-oxidizing agent that reacts, when it is in contact with any organic molecule, eliminating microbes, bacteria, and mold.
With its strong sterilizing properties, it can reduce contamination of fungal spores and toxins located in the surface of the grain.
Apart from the microbes, storage pests and mycotoxins in food products can be efficiently eliminated or degraded by ozone treatment. Also, it can effectively eradicate 100% of adult insects present in the grain mass.
Ozone treatment provides several safety advantages and it is more environmentally friendly over traditional pesticides and fungicides.
There are no residues on products, no presence of toxic chemicals, no danger of chemical mixing hazards and no issues about disposal of left over insecticides or containers.
The excessive ozone automatically decomposes in oxygen, leaving no residue in grain. It is important to know that the ozone treated cereal products are safe for consumption.
The treatment can positively influence the milling of wheat grains, to oxidise the chemical components and while eliminating the mycotoxins and fungi in the grains.
Mild or moderate ozone treatment enhances the dough strength, while increasing the viscosity of flour during pasting event.
The ozone treatment is considered an eco-friendly and cost-effective food processing technique. It prolongs shelf life, and to restore damaged grains.
Ozone uses in grain is a cost effective alternative while also an organic chemical free.
Thus, ozone under suitable reaction conditions can be an effective “green” agent to create desired functionalities of grain products while significantly ensuring food safety.
Ozone appeared to be a “greener” alternative to potassium bromate in bread formulation and to chlorine in cake production.
Read the full article in Ozone Articles (Others) – Article Nr. 023.
Benefits
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Eliminates pests, bacteria, microbes;
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Destroys mycotoxins (vomitoxin, aflatoxin, etc.);
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Stops mold growth;
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Acts as a fumigant and insecticide;
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Insect control in grain;
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Does not damage grain;
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Leaves no residue in food or grain;
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Does not damage the product;
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Enhances the dough strength;
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Easy to implement;
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Generated on-site – no stored chemicals;
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Reduces the required milling energy;
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Environmentally friendly.
