feature
Protection from pests
A
LARGE part of the grain stored
worldwide falls victim to pests, such
as granary weevils, parasitic fungi,
mice and rats. BOGE’s BLUEprotect uses
nitrogen from ambient air to remove oxygen
from the silo and take away the means of
survival for pests and fungi. The solution is
based on the simple principle where BOGE
feeds a mix of gases into the grain silos -
consisting of almost pure nitrogen with a
maximum of 1% residual oxygen. The nitrogen
drives out the oxygen, thereby removing
aerobes, and consequently, the means of
survival for pests and fungi. At the same time,
the effect of breathing losses is minimised, and
the risk of smouldering fires is decreased. After
use, the nitrogen is re-absorbed into the ambient air.
BLUEprotect is the ideal choice for pest control, especially where the use of
chemical agents is not permitted or desirable, specifically in ecological farming or
in the supply chain for breweries. Malting plants, for instance, have to ensure no
chemical residues are left behind in the barley; these could later find their way into
the beer with the malt when brewing.
While the nitrogen counters the reactive growth of microbial activity to
maintain the quality of nutrients, it also improves the freshness of the product.quickly, food contamination can result in higher consumer risks
and economic loss.
“Not only does the lack of food safety negatively affect
producers and manufacturers of the food industry, it can
potentially be harmful to consumers and their health,” Mr
Amunugama cautions.
Notably, oxygen has been the top-most cause for food
spoilage – playing an integral role in encouraging microbial
activity that can be resistant to conventional techniques of food
preservation and safety. The addition of enzymes into the mix
of microbial activity sparks off chemical oxidation creating a
chain of reactions comprising proteins, lipids and fatty acids
that diminish the quality of taste, colour and smell – all severe
repercussions for food producers, manufacturers and consumers.
Safety and traceability
Preservation trends in 2018 focused on blockchain technology
for the detection of food safety and traceability. Initially developed
as part of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, blockchain is an immutable
digital ledger that keeps a record of transactions related to any
product or service. Although it has been successful with bitcoin,
whether it works in the context of the supply chain is still debatable
among analysts. The technology, while proving advantageous
in giving government investigators a head start to identifying
the specific source of the produce does not seem to serve as a
BOGE’s BLUEprotect drives out
oxygen and destroys pest and fungi
in grain silos.Turn to next pageAccess code
FPA