Cold Plasma Could Be Hot Stuff for Grain Growers, Say Researchers

By Bev Betkowski

Using plasma—the stuff of outer space—University of Alberta researchers have found an effective way to decontaminate grain tainted by mold and also boost seed germination. Their study is published in the Journal of Food Engineering.

By treating wheat and barley grains with atmospheric cold plasma—a relatively low-temperature version of the typically superheated matter—they were able to lower the levels of harmful toxins caused by fungi that grow in warm, humid conditions and commonly infect grain.

The discovery "can provide the food processing and livestock feed industries with more effective, efficient ways to process grains that are safe for consumption," says Ehsan Feizollahi, who led the research to earn a Ph.D. in food science and technology from the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences.

Known as mycotoxins, the harmful secondary metabolites infect more than 25% of globally produced grains each year, including barley, wheat and oat grains in Western Canada, resulting in lower-quality crops and financial losses to farmers. They also pose threats to human and livestock health, including cancer, lung disease, brain and kidney damage, or even death.

Because mycotoxins resist high temperatures, removing them from grains is challenging, Feizollahi says.

"There is no effective method currently available for reducing mycotoxins on grain," he notes, adding that common food processing practices such as roasting, baking and frying may only partially remove mycotoxins.