Salvaging Fusarium-Infected Grain with Antimicrobial Blue Light
Fusarium contamination and its harmful DON toxins can cause significant financial losses for grain farmers, potentially making entire harvests unsuitable for human consumption. Results from Finnish farms during the 2023 and 2024 harvests demonstrate how Spectral Blue MWHI® antimicrobial blue light can reduce DON levels in contaminated oats, helping farmers recover valuable crops and reduce agricultural food waste.
In 2023, a Finnish organic oat farmer faced losing most of a 160-ton harvest after 130 tons exceeded the new EU limit for DON toxins. By treating the contaminated oats with an Arskametalli Wisdom Seed cleaner equipped with Spectral Blue MWHI® technology, the farmer successfully recovered 74 tons of oats suitable for human consumption.
Further results followed in 2024, when a farmer in North Ostrobothnia treated contaminated oats using an Antti-Teollisuus horizontal seed cleaner with integrated antimicrobial blue light. Initial DON levels of 1,800–4,210 µg/kg decreased to 300–2,010 µg/kg after a single treatment cycle. Some batches required additional treatment to meet the regulatory limit.
These real-world results demonstrate the potential of antimicrobial blue light to reduce crop losses and improve the economic value of contaminated harvests. Integrated into existing grain-cleaning equipment, the chemical-free technology offers farmers an additional tool for managing Fusarium-related contamination. Treatment results vary between batches, and DON levels must be verified before grain is approved for human consumption.