The Effect of Barley and Wheat Microflora on Malt and Beer Quality

Mikroorganizmi (plijesni, kvasci i bakterije) koji se u velikom broju pojavljuju na ječmu i pšenici, sirovinama za proizvodnju slada, imaju značajan utjecaj na pokazatelje kakvoće konačnog proizvoda, slada. Posljedično, utječu i na kakvoću sladovine, odnosno piva. Iako su bakterije i kvasci dominantne vrste na ječmu i pšenici prije i nakon žetve, pravi problem predstavljaju plijesni zbog štetnih metabolita, koji utječu kako na zdravstvenu ispravnost sirovine, tako i na kakvoću samog slada. Plijesni od posebnog značaju pripadaju rodu Fusarium i nanose ekonomsku štetu cjelokupnoj industriji žitarica, te predstavljaju zdravstvenu prijetnju zdravlju ljudi i životinja zbog mikotoksina koje proizvode. Zbog svega navedenog, nužno je praćenje mikrofl ore tijekom cijelog proizvodnog lanca „ječam-pivo“ i suzbijanje proliferacije nepoželjnih mikroorganizama prije i tijekom slađenja.Microorganisms (fungi, yeasts and bacteria) largely present on barley and wheat, raw materials used for malt production, have great effect on the final product, malt. Consequently, microorganisms also affect the quality of wort and beer. Although bacteria and yeasts are dominant species on barley and wheat before and after the harvest, the real problem are fungi, due to their harmful metabolites that affect health safety of raw material and the quality of malt itself. Particularly problematic fungi are those from genus Fusarium that infl ict economical damage to the whole cereal industry, and due to the possibility of the mycotoxins production, they present health threat to humans and animals. It is therefore necessary to monitor microfl ora throughout the productive chain „barley-beer“ and to suppress the proliferation of unwanted microorganisms, before and during malting

Idrocarburi policiclici aromatici (IPA) nei prodotti a base di carne affumicata tradizionalmente

Dimljeni mesni proizvodi čine jednu od najvažnijih skupina tradicionalnih namirnica. Zahvaljujući jedinstvenim i povoljnim organoleptičkim svojstvima te visokoj kvaliteti, potrošači ih rado biraju. U posljednje vrijeme raste zabrinutost oko zdravstvenih aspekata ovih proizvoda. Istraživanja sugeriraju da tradicionalno dimljeni mesni proizvodi mogu biti povezani s nekim problemima zdravstvene sigurnosti, poput prisutnosti policikličkih aromatskih ugljikovodika (PAH). Policiklički aromatski ugljikovodici predstavljaju veliku skupinu kemijskih spojeva prepoznatu kao mogućeg uzročnika nastanka malignih oboljenja a mogu nastati tijekom toplinske obrade hrane tradicionalnim postupcima kao što su sušenje i dimljenje. Postoje različiti mehanizmi nastanka PAH-a, pri čemu svi spojevi koji sadrže ugljik i vodik mogu poslužiti kao prekursori nastanka PAH-ova Tijekom reakcija nastanka PAH-a, vodik i ugljik spajaju se u ciklički spoj s izmjeničnim jednostrukim i dvostrukim vezama, s dva ili više kondenziranih aromatskih prstenova, koji daju visok karcinogeni i mutageni potencijal.Stoga je cilj ovog istraživanja bio analizirati čimbenike koji utječu na kvalitetu i zdravstvenu ispravnost tradicionalnih mesnih proizvoda u pogledu sadržaja policikličkih aromatskih ugljikovodika na temelju dostupne literature.Smoked meat products form one of the most important groups of traditional foods. Thanks to their unique and favourable organoleptic properties and high quality, consumers readily choose them. Recently, there has been a growing concern regarding the health aspects of these products. Research suggests that traditionally smoked meat products may be associated with some health safety concerns, such as the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons represent a large group of chemical compounds recognised as a possible cause of malignant diseases, and they can be formed during the heat treatment of food by traditional methods such as drying and smoking. There are different mechanisms for the formation of PAHs, whereby all compounds containing carbon and hydrogen can serve as precursors for the formation of PAHs. During the PAH formation reactions, hydrogen and carbon are combined into a cyclic compound with altering single and double bonds, with two or more condensed aromatic rings, which give a high carcinogenic and mutagenic potential. Therefore, the aim of this research was to analyse the factors that influence the quality and health related safety issues of traditional meat products with regard to the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, based on the available literature.Geräucherte Fleischerzeugnisse sind eine der wichtigsten Gruppen von traditionellen Lebensmitteln. Dank ihrer einzigartigen und günstigen organoleptischen Eigenschaften und ihrer hohen Qualität werden sie von den Verbrauchern gerne gewählt. In letzter Zeit wächst die Besorgnis über die gesundheitlichen Aspekte dieser Produkte. Forschungsergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass traditionell geräucherte Fleischerzeugnisse mit einigen gesundheitlichen Bedenken in Verbindung gebracht werden können, z. B. mit dem Vorhandensein von polyzyklischen aromatischen Kohlenwasserstoffen (PAK). Polyzyklische aromatische Kohlenwasserstoffe stellen eine große Gruppe chemischer Verbindungen dar, die als mögliche Ursache bösartiger Erkrankungen anerkannt sind und sich bei der Wärmebehandlung von Lebensmitteln durch traditionelle Verfahren wie Trocknen und Räuchern bilden können. Es gibt verschiedene Mechanismen für die Bildung von PAK, wobei alle Verbindungen, die Kohlenstoff und Wasserstoff enthalten, als Vorläufer für die Bildung von PAK dienen können. Während der PAK-Bildungsreaktionen werden Wasserstoff und Kohlenstoff zu einer zyklischen Verbindung mit wechselnden Einfach- und Doppelbindungen und zwei oder mehr kondensierten aromatischen Ringen kombiniert, die ein hohes karzinogenes und mutagenes Potenzial aufweisen. Ziel dieser Untersuchung war es daher, auf der Grundlage der verfügbaren Literatur die Faktoren zu analysieren, die die Qualität und die gesundheitliche Unbedenklichkeit traditioneller Fleischerzeugnisse im Hinblick auf den Gehalt an polyzyklischen aromatischen Kohlenwasserstoffen beeinflussen.Los productos cárnicos ahumados forman uno de los grupos más importantes de alimentos tradicionales. Gracias a sus propiedades organolépticas únicas y favorables y su alta calidad, los consumidores los eligen fácilmente. Recientemente, ha habido una preocupación creciente con respecto a los aspectos sanitarios de estos productos. La investigación sugiere que los productos cárnicos ahumados tradicionalmente pueden estar asociados con algunos problemas de seguridad sanitaria, como la presencia de hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos (HAP). Los hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos representan un gran grupo de compuestos químicos reconocidos como posibles causantes de enfermedades malignas y pueden formarse durante el tratamiento térmico de los alimentos utilizando métodos tradicionales como el secado y el ahumado. Existen diferentes mecanismos de formación de HAP, por lo que todos los compuestos que contienen carbono e hidrógeno pueden servir como precursores de formación de HAP. Durante las reacciones de formación de HAP, el hidrógeno y el carbono se unen en un compuesto cíclico con enlaces simples y dobles alternados, con dos o más anillos aromáticos condensados, que le otorgan un alto potencial carcinógeno y mutagénico. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar los factores que influyen en la calidad y la seguridad sanitaria de los productos cárnicos tradicionales en cuanto al contenido de hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos conforme a la literatura disponible.I prodotti a base di carne affumicata costituiscono uno dei gruppi più importanti di cibi tradizionali. Grazie alle loro proprietà organolettiche uniche e apprezzatissime e alla loro alta qualità, sono molto amati dai consumatori. Nonostante ciò, da qualche tempo preoccupano non poco alcuni aspetti sanitari di questi prodotti. Varie ricerche suggeriscono, infatti, che i prodotti a base di carne affumicata tradizionalmente possono essere associati ad alcuni problemi di sicurezza sanitaria, come la presenza di idrocarburi policiclici aromatici (IPA). Gli idrocarburi policiclici aromatici rappresentano un ampio gruppo di composti chimici che possono formarsi durante il trattamento termico degli alimenti con metodi tradizionali come l\u27essiccazione e l\u27affumicatura, riconosciuti come possibile causa di patologie maligne. Esistono diversi meccanismi di formazione degli IPA, per cui tutti i composti contenenti carbonio e idrogeno possono fungere da precursori della formazione degli IPA. Durante le reazioni di formazione degli IPA, idrogeno e carbonio si uniscono in un composto ciclico con legami singoli e doppi alternati, con due o più anelli aromatici condensati, che conferiscono un elevato potenziale cancerogeno e mutageno. Pertanto, lo scopo di questa ricerca è stato quello di analizzare i fattori che influenzano la qualità e la salubrità dei tradizionali prodotti a base di carne per quanto riguarda il contenuto di idrocarburi policiclici aromatici sulla base della letteratura disponibile

Development of enzyme potential in different purpose barley varieties during malting

Razvoj enzimske aktivnosti zrna ječma tijekom procesa slađenja je jedno od ključnih zbivanja kojom se osigurava zadovoljavajuća tehnološka kvaliteta slada. Brojna istraživanja su provedena na ovu temu kojima je ustanovljeno da se najbolji rezultati vezani za razvoj enzimskog potencijala zrna osiguravaju slađenjem namjenskih, jarih, dvoredih pivarskih sorti uz odgovarajući režim slađenja kojim se osiguravaju procesni uvjeti koji pogoduju aktiviranju već u zrnu prisutnih i/ili de novo sintezi enzima. Cilj ovog istraživanja bilo je ustanoviti kako s obzirom na gore postavljene zahtjeve reagiraju različite namjenske, dvorede, jare i ozime sorte ječma koje se uobičajeno koriste za proizvodnju slada u Hrvatskoj. Temeljem dobivenih rezultata ustanovljeno je aktivnost α-amilaze u svim ispitivanim sortama bila je unutar, dok je aktivnost β-amilaze u sve tri sorte bila je viša od standardnih vrjednosti za svijetli slad. Oba enzima su pokazala najvišu aktivnost zadnjeg, četvrtog dana klijanja. Proces sušenja slada značajno više smanjuje aktivnost β-amilaze (25-30%) nego α-amilaze (oko 10%). Utvrđivani su i ostali pokazatelji kvalitete polaznih ječmova, procesa mikroslađenja i gotovih sladova. Ustanovljeno je da sve tri sorte daju svijetli pivarski slad vrlo dobre kvalitete. Neki pokazatelji kvalitete slada poput topljivog dušika u sladovini i viskoznosti su imali izvrsne vrijednosti, najproblematičniji pokazatelj je bila fiabilnost. Međutim, kako je friabilnost kumulativni pokazetelj na koji utječu brojni pojedinačni faktori ovo zahtijeva dodatna istraživanja.The development of enzymatic activity of barley grains during the malting process is one of the key developments which ensures satisfactory technological quality of malt. Numerous studies have been conducted on this topic, which found that the best results related to the development of enzymatic potential of grain are a result of malting purpose, spring, two-row brewing varieties. The application of appropriate malting regime that ensures process conditions favaurable for te activation of already present in the grain and/or de novo synthesis enzymes are also an important factor. The aim of this research was to establish how different purpose, two - row, spring and winter varieties of barley, which are commonly used for malt production in Croatia, react to the above requirements. Based on the obtained results, the α-amylase activity in all examined cultivars was found to be within the standard values, while the β-amylase activity in all three cultivars was higher than the standard values for light malt. Both enzymes showed the highest activity on the last, fourth day of germination. The malt drying process significantly reduced β-amylase activity (25- 30%), in comparison to the activity of α-amylase (about 10%). Other indicators of the quality of starting barley, micromalting process and finished malts were also determined. It was found that all three varieties give light malt approprite for malting, reulting with malt of very good quality. Some malt quality indicators such as soluble nitrogen in wort and viscosity had excellent values, and the most problematic indicator was fiability. However, as friability is a cumulative indicator affected by a number of individual factors this requires further research

Upotreba prediktivnih modela za analizu rasta Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12 u kravljem, kozjem i sojinom mlijeku

The aim of this study was to use a predictive model to analyse the growth of a probiotic strain Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12 in cow’s, goat’s and soy milk. The Gompertz model was used, and the suitability of the model was estimated by the Schnute algorithm. Except for the analysis of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12 growth, the Gompertz model was also used for the analysis of pH changes during the fermentation process. Experimental results, as well as the values of kinetic parameters obtained in this study, showed that the highest growth rate of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12 was obtained in goat’s milk, and the lowest in soy milk. Contrary to the growth of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12, pH decreased faster in soy milk than in cow’s milk. The highest rate of pH decrease was also observed in goat’s milk, which is in correspondence with results of various previous studies. The Gompertz model proved to be highly suitable for analysing the course and the fermentation kinetics in these three kinds of milk, and might be used to analyse the growth kinetics of other probiotic and starter cultures in milk.Cilj rada bio je upotrijebiti jedan od prediktivnih modela rasta bakterija za analizu rasta probiotičkog soja Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12 u kravljem, kozjem i sojinom mlijeku. Korišten je Gompertzov model, a prikladnost modela je procijenjena Schnuteovim algoritmom. Osim za analizu rasta Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12, Gompertzov model korišten je i za analizu kretanja pH vrijednosti tijekom fermentacije. Eksperimentalni rezultati, kao i vrijednosti kinetičkih parametara, dobiveni u ovom radu, pokazali su da je najveća brzina rasta Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12 bila u kozjem mlijeku, a najmanja u sojinom mlijeku. Suprotno u odnosu na rast Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12, pH vrijednost opadala je brže u sojinom mlijeku nego u kravljem. Najveći pad pH bio je također u kozjem mlijeku, što potvrđuju rezultati naših prethodnih studija kao i rezultati drugih autora. Gompertzov model pokazao se pogodnim za analizu tijeka i kinetike fermentacije u ove tri vrste mlijeka i može se koristiti za analizu kinetike rasta drugih probiotičkih i starter kultura u mlijeku

The impact of microorganisms on barley and malt quality

Mikroorganizmi su neizbježno prisutni u ječmu, sladu, sladovini, a ponekad i u gotovom pivu. Uzročnici su brojnih problema u pivarskoj industriji. Mikrobna kolonizacija ječma javlja se već u polju tijekom vegetacijskog perioda ječma. Mikroflora na ječmu i od njega dobivenog slada utječe na brojne aspekte kvalitete samog proizvodnog procesa u sladarama i pivovarama i na kvalitetu gotovog piva. Osim toga, prisutnost mikrobne kontaminacije na ječmu rezultira stvaranjem antimikrobnih spojeva, čija prisutnost ukazuje na stres tijekom vegetacijskog perioda uzgoja ječma uzrokovanog mikrobnom kontaminacijom. Ako prežive proces kuhanja sladovine ovi spojevi mogu imat negativne ili pozitivne učinke na daljnji proces proizvodnje i na gotovo pivo. Nadalje mikroorganizmi prisutni na ječmu mogu i sami proizvoditi antimikrobne spojeve protiv drugih mikroorganizama koji također migu utjecati i na kvasac i na sam proces proizvodnje slad i piva. U ovom radu dan je osnovni pregled utjecaja mikroflore ječma na proces slada i kvalitete slada, proizvodnju sladovine i njezinu kvalitetu, proces vrenja i utjecaja na aktivnost pivarskog kvasca te na konačni proizvod, pivo.Microorganisms are inevitably present in barley, malt, wort, and sometimes in finished beer. They are the cause of numerous problems in the brewing industry. Microbial colonization of barley occurs already in the field during the vegetation transition of barley. The microflora on barley and the malt obtained from it affects numerous aspects of the quality of the production process in malthouses and breweries and on the quality of the finished beer. In addition, the presence of microbial contamination on barley results in the formation of antimicrobial compounds, the presence of which indicates stress during the vegetative period of barley cultivation caused by microbial contamination. If they survive the wort brewing process, these compounds can have negative or positive effects on the further production process and on the finished beer. Furthermore, the microorganisms present on barley can themselves produce antimicrobial compounds against other microorganisms that can also affect the yeast and the malt and beer production process itself. This paper provides a basic overview of the influence of barley microflora on the malting process and malt quality, wort production and its quality, the fermentation process and its influence on the activity of brewer\u27s yeast and on the final product, beer

Formulation of a Wort-Based Beverage with the Addition of Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) Juice and Mint Essential Oil

In Croatia, the production of non-alcoholic wort-based beverages is in its initial stages. The main goal of this research was to produce wort that could be then used in the production of a wort-based beverage with the addition of chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) juice. Sensory characteristics and consumer acceptance was also analyzed. Worts were prepared by the standard mashing process, using Munich and pale ale malt. Chokeberry juice was added to the cooled worts. For the purpose of this research, two versions of wort with different concentrations of chokeberry juice (10%, 20%, 30%) were formulated, and all of the beverages were subjected to sensory analysis. Sensory analysis showed that wort with the addition of 30% chokeberry juice was the most accepted. This concentration of chokeberry juice gave the beverage a pleasant taste, but needed some improvement. To address this, mint essential oil was added to the mixture and carbonation using gaseous CO2 was conducted. This beverage received better acceptance when carbonated and mixed with mint essential oil. In addition to the sensory analysis, the polyphenol content of the chosen beverage was also analyzed, along with its nutritional value. Polyphenol content was 2621.47 mg/L and antioxidative activity was 2.28 mmol Trolox/L. The energy value was determined to be 57 kcal. However, in order to optimize the production of this wort-based beverage, further research should be conducted

Possibilities for the Biological Control of Mycotoxins in Food and Feed

Seeking useful biological agents for mycotoxin detoxification has achieved success in the last twenty years thanks to the participation of many multidisciplinary teams. We have recently witnessed discoveries in the fields of bacterial genetics (inclusive of next-generation sequencing), protein encoding, and bioinformatics that have helped to shape the latest perception of how microorganisms/mycotoxins/environmental factors intertwine and interact, so the road is opened for new breakthroughs. Analysis of literature data related to the biological control of mycotoxins indicates the ability of yeast, bacteria, fungi and enzymes to degrade or adsorb mycotoxins, which increases the safety and quality of susceptible crops, animal feed and, ultimately, food of animal origin (milk, meat and eggs) by preventing the presence of residues. Microbial detoxification (transformation and adsorption) is becoming a trustworthy strategy that leaves no or less toxic compounds and contributes to food security. This review summarizes the data and highlights the importance and prospects of these methods

Research of Malting Procedures for Winter Hard Wheat Varieties—Part II

This paper examines the influence of malting process parameters on the wheat malt quality obtained from the assortment of winter red wheat. For this assortment, previous research established that strongly restrictive and strongly intensive malting processes are not suitable, that is, they do not significantly improve the quality of the obtained wheat malts, and in some segments, they even disturb it. Therefore, modifications were introduced to both procedures, and malting was performed with moderately intensive procedure D and moderately restrictive procedure E. Starting wheat, indicators of micromalting process success, and finished wheat malts were analyzed. The results showed that the moderately restrictive malting process (E) significantly improves not only the values for soluble N for almost all tested varieties, but also the values of cytolytic degradation success (wort viscosity, filtration time), and extract yield. The moderately intensive procedure did not improve the determined indicators; for many varieties, the modification even resulted in poorer values. Furthermore, the moderately restrictive procedure allows a strong individual response of a particular variety to the process conditions during malting, which is very important for the assessment of the malting potential for a particular variety. Namely, when assessing the actual malting quality of an individual variety, it is necessary to include amylolytic indicators and indicators of enzymatic strength. In this way, a group of varieties were established which had an increased initial share of total N (varieties no. 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 16). These varieties, by this procedure, gave the best quality wheat malts in the entire examined assortment

Beer Quality Evaluation—A Sensory Aspect

The world’s beer market has never been more diverse. Most beers are produced in modern and technologically advanced breweries that use high quality raw materials, thus resulting in minor differences of physical–chemical properties between various beers (of the same style). However, consumers focus on constant quality and sensory properties of their chosen beer. Sensory evaluation is not an easy task and involves flexible methods for determination of differences and changes between beers. It is commonly used in breweries to provide constant quality of finished products, but also to ensure the quality of different raw materials (water, malt, hops) and to minimize the influence of the production process on final quality of beer

Research of Malting Procedures for Winter Hard Wheat Varieties—Part II

This paper examines the influence of malting process parameters on the wheat malt quality obtained from the assortment of winter red wheat. For this assortment, previous research established that strongly restrictive and strongly intensive malting processes are not suitable, that is, they do not significantly improve the quality of the obtained wheat malts, and in some segments, they even disturb it. Therefore, modifications were introduced to both procedures, and malting was performed with moderately intensive procedure D and moderately restrictive procedure E. Starting wheat, indicators of micromalting process success, and finished wheat malts were analyzed. The results showed that the moderately restrictive malting process (E) significantly improves not only the values for soluble N for almost all tested varieties, but also the values of cytolytic degradation success (wort viscosity, filtration time), and extract yield. The moderately intensive procedure did not improve the determined indicators; for many varieties, the modification even resulted in poorer values. Furthermore, the moderately restrictive procedure allows a strong individual response of a particular variety to the process conditions during malting, which is very important for the assessment of the malting potential for a particular variety. Namely, when assessing the actual malting quality of an individual variety, it is necessary to include amylolytic indicators and indicators of enzymatic strength. In this way, a group of varieties were established which had an increased initial share of total N (varieties no. 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 16). These varieties, by this procedure, gave the best quality wheat malts in the entire examined assortment