Content of minerals and deoxynivalenol in the air‐classified fractions of durum wheat

Abstract

Background and objectives Durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.), such as other cereals, contains several interesting bioactive compounds mostly found within the coating structure of the kernel; also, these structures included in the bran fractions, contain the highest concentration of both minerals and organic contaminants (mycotoxins). The purpose of this project was to employ the micronization and air‐classification technology to obtain fewer refined milling fractions with an adequate good quality in regard to safety and nutritional aspects to manufacture end products (e.g., pasta). Findings The results have identified the milling fraction as the best compromise among satisfactory technological traits, high decrease of cadmium (−83%) and lead (−59%) in comparison to the whole grain, high content of iron (+37%), and the maintenance of useful elements (calcium, potassium, and magnesium). A significant decrease of the deoxynivalenol (−16%) content, as compared with the micronized sample, and a not significant increase (+19%), if compared with semolina, have occurred. Conclusions The air‐classification process has been used as an appropriate tool to reach a good compromise between minerals and deoxynivalenol content in milling fractions. Significance and novelty The same process has proved to be a proper technology to produce high‐quality mixtures suitable to obtain both healthier end products and better raw matter exploitation.

Use of Air-Classification Technology to Manage Mycotoxin and Arsenic Contaminations in Durum Wheat-Derived Products

“…Conversely, the presence of toxins was not detected in semolina. This result is consistent with previous studies showing the greater difficulty of managing toxin-producing fungi (i.e., F. langsethiae) colonising the inner endosperm of the kernel and thus strongly limiting semolina contamination [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]. Interestingly, the toxin content (sum of T-2 and HT-2) tended to concentrate in the F250 fraction, and a higher bran content was clearly demonstrated by the measurement that was close to the limit of quantification of the ELISA test (25 µg/g).…”

“…This study aimed to address the issue of organic and inorganic contamination in durum wheat-derived food products, which has already been preliminarily examined [29]. In the present assay, updated micronising and air classification plants were used as reliable tools to improve the quality characteristics of products.…”

Bran-Enriched Milled Durum Wheat Fractions Obtained Using Innovative Micronization and Air-Classification Pilot Plants

“…New technological solutions in wheat milling processing have many advantages as compared to traditional milling, which, by removing germ and bran, cause the loss of several beneficial compounds that are located in the bran fraction. Industrial pretreatments, such as debranning, micronization, and air-classification processes, can reduce the negative effects of wheat bran [10][11][12][13]. Debranning is a dry separation technology based on consecutive abrasions of cereal kernels; the progressive bran removal through the detachment of the outer, intermediate, and inner layers of pericarp leads to different byproduct classes, which can be removed by using pressurized air flowing through the screens and outlets of the debranner [7].…”

“…Micronization consists of a milling process able to reduce the starting matrix such as cereal grains in a fine particle product through the use of different technologies (e.g., hammer mill, knife mill). The range of the particle size of the milled product depends on the sieve diameter employed [11]. The general functioning criteria of the air-classification system is based on the pneumatic transportation of the milled particles inside the plant, which operates in depression, thus promoting a pneumatic flow along circular orbits.…”

Qualitative Characterization of Unrefined Durum Wheat Air-Classified Fractions

“…Among these, the technology based on micronization and subsequent air-classification of milling particles was among the most promising [1,16]. The air-classification technology is a suitable tool to this purpose giving rise to sub-fractions with diverse particle size and composition that can be selected to enhance the beneficial health effects associated with bran particles, while limiting the content of toxic contaminants [17][18][19][20][21]. Through the use of this latter technology, several types of unrefined milling products can be directly obtained from the air-classified plants and evaluated on the basis of qualitative tests without the need for adding selected fractions enriched with specific outer layers such as aleurone [22,23].…”