Innovative Light Technology Mitigates Contamination of Cereal Grains

Innovative Light Technology Mitigates Contamination of Cereal Grains

By Victoria Birk Hill January 6, 2025

In a new study, researchers evaluated far-ultraviolet C (far-UVC) light as a safe way to alleviate fungal contamination of corn and wheat and found this technology to be effective. The study co-author Yi-Cheng Wang, assistant professor in FSHN at UIUC, and lead author Zhenhui Jin (UIUC), a recent graduate of FSHN’s doctoral program, tested the efficacy of far-UVC light against two fungi, Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium graminearum.

The study, “Mitigating fungal contamination of cereals: The efficacy of microplasma-based far-UVC lamps against Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium graminearum,” is published in Food Research International.