Development of a bacterial biocontrol process applicable in the barley-malt-beer industry.

Pathogenic fungi represent a generic problem for cereals as they can produce a variety of toxic secondary metabolites such as mycotoxins that represent a significant concern for the malting and brewing industries, and may affect the quality and safety of barley, malt, and beer. Besides, this situation is worsening due to the highly variable climatic conditions that favor pathogenic fungi development and the societal desire to reduce the use of phytosanitary products, including fungicides. In this context, this communication describes the development of an innovative bio-control process applicable in malting facilities, that would contribute to guaranteeing a better hygienic and technological quality of malt, despite the increasingly complex and variable conditions for barley production. The process is based on technological bacteria, isolated from infection-resistant barley cultures, that can reduce the development of spoilage fungi and the associated mycotoxin production. The experimental approach consists of: i) determining the growth kinetics of...