Safety of Oxygreen, an ozone treatment on wheat grains. Part 2. Is there a substantial equivalence between Oxygreen-treated wheat grains and untreated wheat grains?

The Oxygreen process is a new process based on wheat grain treatment by ozone (produced in situ), in a closed sequential batch reactor. The Oxygreen process offers a close, homogeneous, and controlled contact between the gas and the grain. It is proposed for use for wheat grain decontamination (insects, fungi, bacteria, mycotoxins, pesticides). It takes place in classical milling diagram, and occurs after grain cleaning and before milling. The aim of the study reported here was to determine if Oxygreen treatment could induce in the grain the formation of processing-related compounds, and if these compounds are specific or could be recognized as classical modifications already used in the cereal industry (milling, baking). Studies were performed in order to evaluate any effect of Oxygreen treatment on vitamins, ferulic acid, phytates, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. It was concluded that there was no detectable substantial difference between ozone-treated grains and the untreated ones, although some quantitative differences can occur. The more detectable differences concern concentration of free sugars, and inhibition of some oxidative enzymes. These quantitative differences are very slight compared to the modifications that occur in dough, after addition of oxidative products directly in flour, or during kneading and dough fermentation.