Mycelial contamination of food raw material and ways of its removal

The deterioration in grain crops quality including barley is determined by its high sensibility to the complex of phytopathogenic microorganisms. Microorganisms which kern barley have a negative effect on growing power of germ and lead to changes of grain chemical composition. Under the influence of metabolic byproducts of microorganisms there are biochemical processes in barley which lead to the changes in protein and carbohydrate balance, appearance of a great number of low molecular weight proteins and acidification. At far gone processes of mold formation in a grain one can observe toxic elements formed by mycelial fungi strains: aflatoxins, citrinin, ochratoxin, zearalenone. For this reason grain mass can become unsuitable to produce malt and beer. In addition the harmfulness of microorganisms contaminating barley grains is multiple intensified because of toxigenesis which is dangerous for human health. The level of contamination of grains by microorganisms depends on many factors, basic of which are the conditions of grain handling after harvesting. In this respect barley grain handling is very important and urgent. Traditional methods of grain handling can’t be considered as satisfactory as not all of them meet safety requirements. Moreover some of them are energy consuming and require additional expenses, they have a limited sphere of application and do not allow us to obtain ecologically clean production. One of the methods to decrease mycelial contamination is the use of electrophysical effect, super-high frequency heating in particular.