Miller Magazine Issue: 144 December 2021

60 COVER STORY MILLER / december 2021 Cereal grains are one of the major food staples world- wide, equating to two-thirds of the energy and protein in- take of the human diet. In 2020/21, it is was estimated that the annual total wheat consumption worldwide was 760 million metric tons. 1 Due to its central importance in global food chains, ensuring the quality and consistency of grains and grain- based products is essential for food processors. As grains may go through many processing steps – such as milling, fractionation, and extraction - to get to final pro- cessed foods, it is also important to test throughout the grain production life cycle. During any of these stages, unreliable raw materials can lead to costly and inefficient processes, wasted material and – worst of all – low qual- ity or unappealing products. In concert with this, quality concerns surrounding wheat and grains have also been exacerbated by recent adverse weather conditions, such as increased temperatures and rainfall, leading to damaged crop and off-quality. As such, it’s never been a more important time to en- sure the efficacy and accuracy of wheat testing solutions. By evaluating industry best practices in analysis, wheat and grain processors can be empowered to make in- formed decisions upstream and downstream. Following are some insights on how innovative and inu- tiative testing and analysis tools and approaches can help at various stages of the supply chain. THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE Effective wheat and grain testing starts as early as the field or the grain elevator. Here, mycotoxins present the biggest threat in terms of safety and quality. The consump- tion of mycotoxin contaminated products can have acute and chronic health effects on humans and animals. Addi- tionally, mycotoxin contamination can have a direct eco- nomic impact on the grain supply chain due to a 1) Decreased efficiency in the growth of farm animals 2) Trade losses because of import issues 3) Export limitations and direct losses in revenue of crop value. The majority of these toxic secondary metabolites thrive in damp, dark environments, but also possess species that can pose issues in warmer environments too – for exam- ple, aflatoxin in corn harvests. 2 To protect the health of consumers and animals world- wide, legislation for mycotoxins is in place. To comply with As grains may go through many processing steps – such as milling, fractionation, and extraction - to get to final processed foods, it is important to test throughout the grain production life cycle. In this article, we share our insights into how innovative and in- tuitive testing and analysis tools are helping the grain industry overcome quality chal- lenges at different stages of the supply chain. Keeping grains glorious Wes Shadow Global Market & Portfolio Manager – Grain PerkinElmer, Inc.