Miller Magazine Issue: 134 February 2021

49 COVER STORY MILLER / february 2021 away from hazards and infestations. Finally, the consumer must be aware that flour may contain pathogens and shall be cooked properly. A thorough traceability system, monitors grain and flour along the chain, proving that quality assurance systems are de- signed with precision and are followed in detail by everyone involved. THE ROLE OF QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEMS In the science of quality assurance, everything is about risk! The hazards are present, the preventive measures are taken, sampling and inspection are applied. Everything is related to how effectively was the preventive measure designed, how thoroughly it is applied and how serious is the threat. All these probabilities produce the level of risk. For the purpose of this article, we measure risk at 4 levels: no risk, low, medium and high. The following table shows the expected hazards and their risk, in the grain-to-flour supply chain. In the following paragraphs, we analyze the supply chain points with a level or risk. GRAIN FIELD The quality of irrigation water and the re- spect to good practices, keep the risk down for contaminants that may come with water and for pesticide residues. In addition to that, the weather conditions can be related to the devel- opment of fungi on the plants and even to the formation of mycotoxins. There are several cases where irrigation wa- ter was contaminated by sewage water and affected rice which is growing in the water. Or cases that the weather caused the develop- ment of Aspergillus flavus on the corn plants and the harvested crop showed serious con- centration of aflatoxin. HARVEST AND TRANSPORT The harvesters and the farm lorries are usu- ally left at the end of the season uncleaned. They become a source of infestation by stored product insects (mainly of the Sitophilus spe- cies) for the next crop. This incident is happen- ing so often and so regularly around the world that it has become the main reason why stored product insects find their way so easily in the new crop. STORAGE AT THE FARM The farmer’s silos and warehouses are in many cases the first storage assets in the supply chain. There are two risks related to this storage. The first one is the development of mold which can alter the organoleptic characteristics of the grain giving a bad odor and forming crumbles of kernels stuck together by the forming of mycelia. Mold develop when moisture is over 15%. This can happen when a drier is not working properly or when rainwater finds its way into the grain. With high moisture, a crust is formed on the grain, usually on the surface. Natural aeration is then blocked and temperature rises due to poor aer- ation and enzyme activity. Insects love elevated temperatures and will multiply rapidly when they are present causing further damaging. Development of mold can lead to the production of mycotoxins which are carcinogens, making the grain unfit for consumption by humans or animals. New technologies have made it easier to monitor stored grain. Wireless sensors like those of Centaur.ag monitor several parameters and alert the user when the condition becomes unsafe. The best parameter to monitor to avoid spoilage is CO 2 . The concentration of this RISK ASSESMENT OF HAZARDS IN THE GRAIN-TO-FLOUR SUPLY CHAIN Supply chain Potential hazzards Micro - biological Heavy metals Pestici- des Myco- toxins Aller- gens Foreign Materials Field Low Low Medium Low No Low Transport No No No No Low High Farmer storage No No Low Medium Low Medium Elevator No No Low Medium Medi- um Medium Mill Low Low Low Medium Low Medium Packaging No No No No No No Transport No No No No No Low Storage No No No No No Low Retail No No No No No Low Consumer home Low No No No Low Low