From malt to wheat beer: A comprehensive multi-toxin screening, transfer assessment and its influence on basic...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Mycology
• Brewing Technology

Background:

• Mycotoxins, toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi, can contaminate agricultural commodities like barley.
• Fusarium culmorum is a significant pathogen affecting cereal crops, potentially leading to mycotoxin contamination in malting barley.
• Understanding mycotoxin behavior during brewing is crucial for ensuring food safety in beer production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the transfer rate of various mycotoxins into beer during a semi-industrial brewing process.
• To evaluate the impact of field fungicide application on mycotoxin concentrations in beer.
• To assess the influence of Fusarium culmorum infection on the brewing fermentation process.

Main Methods:

• Semi-industrial scale brewing trials were conducted using barley malt from fungicide-treated and Fusarium culmorum-infected batches.
• Mycotoxin analysis was performed on malt and beer samples using multiple detection methods.
• Fermentation parameters including sugars, glycerol, and ethanol content were monitored daily.

Main Results:

• Several mycotoxins, including deoxynivalenol (DON), DON-3-glucoside, brevianamide F, and culmorin (CUL) derivatives, were detected in both malt and beer.
• The study determined the mycotoxin transfer rates into beer during the brewing process.
• Fusarium culmorum infection did not significantly alter the fermentation kinetics or final alcohol concentration of the beer.

Conclusions:

• Mycotoxins can transfer into beer during the brewing process, necessitating careful monitoring.
• Field fungicide treatment with Prosaro® 250 did not significantly reduce mycotoxin levels in the final beer.
• While Fusarium culmorum infection introduces mycotoxins into malt, it does not appear to disrupt the core fermentation process in beer production.