Miller Magazine Issue: 126 June 2020

38 NEWS MILLER / JUNE 2020 NDSU researchers receive grant to reduce pathogens in flour Senay Simsek, NDSU’s Bert L. D'Appolonia Cereal Science and Technology of Wheat Endowed Professor, and Teresa Bergholz, associate professor of microbio- logical sciences, will work on a project titled “Killing before milling: Utilization of Vacuum Steam Pasteuriza- tion For Controlling Enteric Pathogens On Wheat.” The three-year grant totals nearly $500,000. Senay Simsek has been also awarded the NC-213 U.S. Quality Grains Research Consortium 2020 Andersons Cereals and Oilseeds Award of Excellence.The NC-213 U.S. Quality Grains Research Consortium is a multi-sta- te group of researchers from U.S. land-grant universities and government research centers who conduct research and share information to manage quality food safety and biosecurity in grain worldwide. The group meets yearly, however, due to the coronavirus, the 2020 me- eting has been cancelled. Simsek will be honored at the 2021 annual meeting. Wheat is the third-most produced crop in the world, and milled flour is a central component in food products around the globe. Historically, there has been little concern for the safety of wheat flour and its related food produ- cts, as flour is low in moisture and cannot support microbial growth. However, some mic- robes can survive in low moisture conditions for exten- ded periods of time. During the growing season and har- vest, wheat kernels are exposed to a variety of potential contaminants, including animals, insects, soils, wind and harvesting and transportation containers. Eating raw dough products has led to outbreaks, primarily caused by Salmonella and E. coli. “Consuming raw dough or batters made with wheat flour is considered a food safety risk, yet a significant majority of consumers report doing so,” Simsek said. There is currently no established kill step for enteric pathogens during wheat milling.” Simsek said traditi- onal pasteurization methods that use high heat to kill pathogens are undesirable in the flour industry because high temperatures can alter the functionality of whe- at gluten protein. “Vacuum steam pasteurization is a promising alternative method for reducing wheat pat- hogens as this method has been successful with other low moisture foods,” Simsek said. “The development of this method for reducing pathogen contamination in wheat could protect public health by preventing food- borne illness.” Simsek joined the NDSU faculty in 2007. She ear- ned her bachelor’s degree at Bulent Ecevit University, Turkey; master’s degree in biochemistry from Gebze Institute of Technology, Turkey; and doctorate in food science at Purdue University. Bergholz came to NDSU in 2012. She earned bachelor’s degrees in food scien- ce and microbiology and her doctorate in food science from Michigan State University. NDSU researchers recently received a USDA Food Safety and Defense grant to explore the use of steam pasteurization to reduce patho- gens in milled flour. Senay Simsek