By Scout Nelson
Bhadriraju Subramanyam, a distinguished professor, alongside associate professor Kaliramesh Siliveru and professor of practice E. Xinyi, have secured a $486,000 grant from the USDA-NIFA. This funding is part of the Methyl Bromide Transitions program, supporting their research on chlorine dioxide's effectiveness in wheat flour mills.
Over the next three years, the team will investigate how gaseous chlorine dioxide combats stored-product insects and pathogens on food-contact surfaces within flour mills. They will also test aqueous chlorine dioxide on wheat before milling to assess its ability to reduce microbial presence on wheat and its flour.
This grant marks Subi's fifth from the Methyl Bromide Transitions program and continues his earlier work funded by the Australian government, which aimed to find alternatives for managing phosphine-resistant insects, a significant concern in the grain industry.
The use of chlorine dioxide, proven effective against resistant pests in prior studies, will be critical in this research. The project benefits from a specialized 40-foot trailer donated by PureLine, which generates this gas and is currently stationed at the Grain Science and Industry Complex. This innovative approach could lead to significant advancements in food safety within the grain industry.
Photo Credit -pexels-klaus-nielsen
Categories: Kansas, Business, Crops, Wheat, Government & Policy