Evaluation of gaseous ozone and hydrogen peroxide treatments for reducing Fusarium survival in malting barley

The use of Fusarium-infected barley for malting can lead to mycotoxin production and decreased malt quality. Methods for treatment of Fusarium-infected barley might prevent these safety and quality defects and allow use of otherwise good-quality barley. Gaseous ozone and hydrogen peroxide (HP) were evaluated for effectiveness in reducing Fusarium survival while maintaining germinative energy (GE) in barley. Gaseous ozone treatments (GOT) included concentrations of 11 and 26 mg/g for 0, 15, 30, and 60 min. HP treatments included 0, 5, 10, and 15% concentrations with exposure times of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 min. For GOT, in naturally Fusarium-infected barley, a statistically significant (P < 0.05) decrease (24 to 36%) of Fusarium survival occurred within 15 min of exposure at either concentration. GE was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by 30 min at both concentrations in naturally Fusarium-infected barley, but not in sound barley. GOT did not cause any significant (P > 0.05) effect on GE in sound barley at either concentration over the full 30-min exposure time. For HP, Fusarium survival was significantly decreased (50 to 98%) within 5 min of exposure. With the exception of two treatments (10 and 15% HP agitated for 20 min), GE was not statistically significantly different from the control in naturally Fusarium infected barley. In sound barley, HP had no significant (P > 0.05) effect on GE. The results suggest that GOT and HP might have potential for treatment of Fusarium-infected malting barley.