ARTICLE 68 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE June 2023 GRAIN QUALITY: PREHARVEST, POST-HARVEST, STORAGE AND TRANSPORT Throughout preharvest, harvest, storage and transport, grains face both quantitative - loss from spillage, spoilage, or damage - and qualitative - loss of grain quality - damages. Growing crops can incur damage from severe weather, pests, and inadequate soil quality and may see the beginning of problems like mould growth. Common challenges that occur post-harvest include contamination by foreign materials, mould or bacteria growth, mechanical damage, and issues with drying. Wet grain is at increased risk for mould growth and has a reduced shelf life. Couple that with sub-optimal storage practices and the risk for further mould and bacteria growth will increase significantly, while grain residue can contaminate clean grain coming into a storage structure. Transportation considerations include how the grain is being stored and the duration of transport. Some considerations for preserving grain during storage and transport include making sure the optimal form of storage is selected, controlling moisture, and ensuring adequate ventilation to reduce moisture build-up. The capability to observe conditions within the storage facility or modify temperatures also can help maintain grain in reasonable condition. MITIGATION EFFORTS Actions to help check and protect the safety of grains include applying additives to protect grain quality, analysing ingredients, and using relevant maintenance tools. Ingredient analysis can help identify safety issues like contamination by salmonella, mould or mycotoxins, while also assessing elements that can alter shelf life, like moisture and pH value, or conducting a shelf-life estimation test. Grain quality also can be supported with additive use. Stored grain, especially when faced with variable storage conditions, may provide the perfect environment for microorganisms to grow, potentially altering grains’ nutritional value and reducing shelf-life. A new product launched by Selko, Fylax Grain, can help extend shelf-life by inhibiting microbial growth. The additive is a blend of free and buffered organic acids that provide broad spectrum protection against the growth of unwanted microorganisms including moulds, bacteria, and yeasts. Proper application is essential to assure accurate dosing. In testing examining the growth of clostridium perfringens, salmonella typhimurium, or saccharomyces cerevisiae, populations of all unwanted microorganisms declined following the application of Fylax Grain.
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