Tag: food

Case Study: High-Sensitivity Testing for Enogen Corn

Posted on by Ryan Whipkey

What is Enogen corn?

Launched in 2011 by Syngenta®, Enogen® corn is a genetically modified (GMO) variety of corn developed to drive efficiencies in ethanol and cattle feed production—two industries that account for 90% of US domestic corn use.[1] Enogen corn contains a special trait that enables it to produce within the kernel a high amount of alpha-amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch to sugar. This enzyme saves on the cost and energy of converting corn starch to alcohol in ethanol production, and is claimed to improve digestibility of cattle feed.[2] Enogen corn adoption has grown rapidly across US. For example, in North Dakota, refiners have been looking to secure up to 16 million bushels of the Enogen corn—about 4% of the state’s total annual production. [3] Adoption in the cattle feed segment has also accelerated dramatically since introduction. Syngenta reported double-digit growth in their 2021 financial report.

The map below from IP Field Finder (ip360.agconnections.com) illustrates that Enogen farms are present in virtually every corn growing region in the US in high numbers. (click image to expand)

Map from IP360 showing the prevalence of Enogen corn fields in the United States.

Impact on Corn Food Product Quality 

You may have experienced this for yourself—if you chew on a piece of tortilla or bread for a bit longer, it will start tasting sweeter. This is because the alpha-amylase in your saliva starts converting the starch content to sugar as part of the digestion process in your mouth. The alpha-amylase produced in Enogen corn has a similar impact of catalyzing starch hydrolysis—potentially to a point of dysfunction—resulting in issues like soupy grits, crumbly cornbread, and sticky tortillas.

The enzyme is also designed to be heat-resistant and works optimally at temperatures at which the corn is cooked. Enzymes can remain active well after the cooking process is over and continue to impact the starch quality of packaged foods, making tortilla dough sticky or the product fragile. The nixtamalization process (a key step in corn processing in which the corn is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution) is especially sensitive to alpha-amylase, and caused one of our largest customers to experience significant masa flour quality incidents. They also reported that cornbread made with corn flour containing the Enogen corn crumbled on its own when stored in a hot box or on a hot shelf for more than an hour.

“The starch content is obviously different in this corn. Tamales don’t bind. When you make the product, it falls apart.”  – Juan Galván, VP Amapola[4]

Another corn processor was afflicted by customer complaints about soupy and runny corn grits for nearly a year before they could trace the issue back to Enogen corn through PCR testing. Soggy cereal, crumbly chips, and soupy grits are all potential issues caused by Enogen corn contamination.

Cross-Contact Risk

In order to keep Enogen corn out of the food supply chain, Syngenta has implemented a stewardship program that includes regulating aspects of seed and produce distribution and spacing between farms. For the most part, this program is successful, but Enogen corn does at times come into cross-contact with food-grade corn during shared transportation, handling, and storage infrastructure, as well as through cross-pollination events from wind and weather. This commingling risk is supported both by the growing number of EnviroLogix customers seeking Enogen testing, as well as positive customer samples we have received for PCR tests conducted in our TotalTest Labs.

“We cut about 400 to 500 feet off the end of 400 acres that we had to bin separately—and it was contaminated. We tested it and it wasn’t going to meet specs.” -Mark Jost of Henderson, Nebraska [5]

A lot of cross-contact risk conversation revolves around the level on concentration of the enzyme. The science suggests that if an enzyme is present in a supportive environment, it will start  degrading the starch by acting as a catalyst. This implies that the enzyme may not get consumed in the reaction, but will simply move to the next site. This would mean that practically any dose of the enzyme that goes undetected can lead to a uncontrolled reaction and have severe consequences on the production process. Novozyne, a leader in enzyme preparation for the baking industry, warns that even a slight amount of overdosing of enzymes in food preparation can lead to unacceptable products.[6] The North America Millers Association (NAMA) has documented that even one kernel mixed with ten thousand (0.01%) can disrupt food processing operations.[7] While each product has different level of associated risk, any process involving heating and/or acidic/alkaline exposure of corn for a long duration is a high-risk process in the presence of the alpha-amylase enzyme.

Assessing a Customer Need

An EnviroLogix customer, one of the largest corn millers in the United States, was experiencing multiple batch failures of masa flour, an issue that had to be escalated to their Head of Quality. Only after performing DNA tests was the root cause determined to be cross-contamination with Enogen corn. Yet the issue had arisen despite the customer testing all inbound corn for Enogen using following methods:

  1. Lateral flow device (LFD) test at the decision point- LFD tests provide real-time guidance to staff on whether to accept or reject a load. But, the EnviroLogix test they were using at the time was only specified to detect contamination at a level of 1 in 400 kernels (0.25%).
  2. Lab-based PCR test-Performed by trained scientists in a lab setting, Lab-based PCR tests reduce the possibility of error but take a few days to return results, making them an impractical choice for inbound screening. If Enogen corn is accepted into inventory before the test result is obtained, it is already too late.

A Breakthrough Solution

With the PCR results arriving too late, and product quality issues occurring despite inbound grain tested using a test specified to detect 1 Enogen corn grain in 400 (0.25%), there was a clear need to revise the acceptance criteria for inbound corn cross-contact  to a much lower level. To enable this revision, the limit of detection for the test used to monitor each truck would also need to be lowered to help mitigate this ongoing and increasing risk they were seeing. After additional internal consideration, they told us- “Increase sensitivity of the strip to at least 1/1000 although 1/2000 is the ideal level since 0.0625% is threshold where we start seeing issues”. With the evolving needs of the grain industry always at the forefront of our research and development, EnviroLogix was ready with TotalTarget™ for Amylase Corn—a breakthrough LFD solution able to detect Enogen in corn at 1 in 2,500 kernels (0.04%).

Graph showing that TotalTarget for Enogen can detect the presence of Enogen and a much lower level (0.04%) that the prior low sensitivity test.

Key features of  TotalTarget for Amylase Corn

  • Increased Sensitivity – TotalTarget for Enogen is 6 times more sensitive than the existing low sensitivity test to enable detection of Enogen above 0.04% contamination.
  • Common Workflows – Workflows for TotalTarget Enogen and TotalTox™ Mycotoxin test kits mesh seamlessly. With the same sample prep and simultaneous reading, operators can test for Enogen and mycotoxin contamination side-by-side in under 10 minutes.
  • Updated Extraction – Safer and easier extraction process that no longer requires Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)
  • Reader Enabled – No need to rely on visual test line results. Get an instant objective read with the QuickScan Reader.
  • Audit-Ready Data – Whether you download your data directly from the QuickScan or access it online through our new TotalHub data management system, record keeping and reporting are just a few clicks away.

Graphic showing key Enogen inbound testing points in the grain supply chain.

Ongoing Benefits

By adopting this new high sensitivity test, the customer was able to more than meet their threshold needs with an on-site test that is fast and simple. With TotalTarget for Enogen, they were able to:

  • Dramatically reduce the risk of Enogen contamination of purchased food-grade corn, potentially averting hundreds of thousands of dollars in operational disruptions, product recalls, and inventory disposal.
  • Save significant time and effort with training and testing by implementing the common workflow for Enogen and Mycotoxin testing that utilizes the sampling protocols and testing steps that operators already know.
  • Further insure against contamination risk by mandating that all upstream corn suppliers test for Enogen using the new TotalTarget high sensitivity test before delivering corn to them

Click here to Learn More about the test or Email Us if you have any questions

 

Storage Under Pressure: Squeezing This Year’s Crop for Max Value

Posted on by Susan Whipkey

With unprecedented bushels per acre numbers projected a month ago, the U.S. was looking like it was headed for the largest corn harvest in history. Though recently those yield projections retreated a bit, overall numbers look like we’ll see another bumper crop of corn this year.

As is the case when corn acreage and yields are high, two factors come in to play: downward pressure on prices and less-than-ideal storage solutions, including bags, open bins, and ground piles.

In order to squeeze out the maximum value of this year’s harvest, grain handlers need to mitigate post-harvest losses due to damage, infestation, and especially mycotoxin contamination, by properly storing and monitoring corn.

Storage practices need to be adequate to protect the value of what’s being stored, distilled down to 4 factors:

1. Moisture: Mold needs moisture to grow so when you reduce your moisture content you improve your chances of winning the fight against mycotoxin producing molds. It is recommended to reduce the amount of moisture as early as possible and to keep the percent moisture at 14% or less.

2. Temperature: Keep cool and even temperatures by using proper aeration.  Why?  Keeping the temperature cool will make the environment less favorable for insects. Keeping the temperature even will reduce the chance of condensation that can occur from drastic temperature changes.

3. Insects: Control insects or mitigate insects. Insects can damage grain with digging, chewing and leaving waste, leaving it more susceptible to mycotoxin contamination. They can also bring in additional moisture.

4. Damage: Remember the old adage “quality in quality out”?  Damaged grain is more susceptible to mycotoxin contamination.  Separate or sell damaged grain to limit its incorporation into high-quality stored grains.

storage animation: moisture, temperature, damage, and insects

Monitoring incoming and stored commodities is critical to protecting value.

Remember that weather conditions are not a guarantee of either presence or absence of mycotoxins, and reliance upon rumors either way is foolhardy at best and costly at its worst.  Begin with testing incoming grain to set a baseline understanding of the grain quality in your area, then continue to monitor stored grains, whether in bins, piles, or bags.  Cool weather is no guarantee to keep molds and mycotoxins at bay, as temperatures and moisture levels especially in the center of a ground pile can climb without proper aeration.

It is generally recommended to inspect stored corn weekly during fall and spring, and once or twice a month during winter, so any potential for loss can be addressed immediately.

By regularly testing your grain, you can assure that your storage practices are working effectively, and you’ll achieve the maximum value when it’s time to sell.

A list of EnviroLogix’ most popular mycotoxin test kits for use with the EnviroLogix QuickScan II quantitative GMO and mycotoxin detection instrument appears below:

Contact us if you have questions or concerns about how mycotoxin contamination might be present in the grain in your supply chain. We can be reached at (866) 408-4597 or info@envirologix.com.

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Name that strip!

Posted on by Daryn Daniluk

You may be moving corn for a Non-GMO Identity Program (IP), or you may be a farmer desiring a Non-GMO premium on thousands of acres of corn. The last thing anyone wants is GMO to be found while the product is headed for premium non-GMO markets. With all the GMO seed products on the market today, it is hard to keep track of which strip tests for what. Your neighbors could be buying and planting various GMO traits this spring. Wouldn’t it would be great to know what, exactly, is in your corn? Our non-GMO corn combs have as many as nine strips.  People often ask us, “what do all those strips do?” Because it is a full-time job to keep up on what GMO traits are present in any given seed, our corn comb is designed to detect the GMO protein in corn that is currently on the market. That way, you will be able to detect any and all GMO present in the corn coming through your facility, or in the seed that you are about to plant.

Our strips fall into three broad categories of trait detection:

  1. Herbicide tolerance,
  2. Lepidoptera managment, and
  3. Coleopteran management.

The first category refers to weed suppression. You’ve most likely heard of Roundup Ready. It was the first widely available trait in corn and it was a game changer. The second trait in this category that is detected by our corn comb is Liberty Link. Like Roundup Ready, it puts another powerful tool in the farmer’s tool box when dealing with competitive vegetation.

The next group is Lepidoptera managers. This is the genus of insect that Corn Borers fall into. ‘Cry’ proteins (GMO) kill insects and it is one of the most well-studied, well-characterized proteins in history. There are thousands of variations that have different effects on bugs. The ones that kill corn borers are Cry1, Cry1AB, Cry1F, and Vip3A…Vip proteins are fascinating in their own right, but we’ll write about that in a future article.

Last on our list are the Coleoptera managers, that mitigate potentially devastating pests such as root worms. In certain applications, these proteins are expressed specifically in root tissue keeping the protein where it is needed. No energy is wasted by expressing it in leaf tissue, for example. The proteins fatal to root worms are Cry3B, Cry34, and modified Cry3A.

Here is a Quick glance at the 9 strips that help you detect the presence of GMO.

Strip Name Commercial Product Function
C1 Cry1A YieldGard Bt11 Corn Borer/lepidopteran
RR Roundup Ready Agrisure, Optimum, Enlist, and others Herbicide Resistance
C3 Cry3B YieldGard Rootworm Rootworm/coleopteran
1F Cry1F Herculex, PowerCore, and Acremax Corn Borer/lepidopteran
LP Liberty Link Agrisure, SmartStax, Herculex, Optimum, and others Herbicide Resistance
34 Cry34 SmartStax, Herculex RW Rootworm/coleopteran
3A Modified Cry3A Agrisure Rootworm MIR604 Rootworm/coleopteran
C2 Cry2A Genuity/PowerCore Corn Borer/lepidopteran
VP Vip3A Viptera, MIR162 Corn Borer/lepidopteran

EnviroLogix published in Global Milling Advances

Posted on by Brian Harris

Composite image showing Global Milling Advances cover and Jamie Welch article, Increasing Throughput in Grain MillsJamie Welch, a scientist and Technology Product Manager at EnviroLogix, wrote an article on ‘Increasing Throughput at Grain Mills’ for the publication, Global Milling Advances. The article was requested by Global Milling Advances as part of their August 2018 focus on mycotoxins.

Welch’s article discusses the impact mycotoxins carry, the importance of testing, and how mycotoxin assay test time directly influences overall delivery throughput. It also touches on third party certification; data capture, analytics, and transmission; protocols; as well as sampling and other best practices.

Click here to read the article (pages 26-29). If you would like to discuss increasing your mill’s throughput, compliance, or accelerating your decisions, please contact EnviroLogix.

Poor Corn + Moisture = Mycotoxins?

Posted on by Brian Harris

Growing conditions and moisture levels are critical factors in the overall health of growing corn crops. Mycotoxin contamination can start in the field if fungi infect corn ears. The risk of pre-harvest fungal growth goes up if the condition of the crop is reported to be less than optimal (e.g., damaged by weather or insects). Another factor that increases the risk even further is moisture throughout the growing season.

Ultimately, corn that is growing in locations in which crop conditions have been classified as fair, poor, or very poor; and at the same time have been subjected to a persistently moist environment are at heightened risk for yielding grain that is contaminated with mycotoxins.

2018 Corn Crop Growing Condition as of August 22nd
State % of corn crop conditions reported
as fair, poor, or very poor
Illinois 24%
Indiana 30%
Iowa 28%
Kansas 71%
Kentucky 27%
Michigan 20%
Minnesota 23%
Missouri 71%
Montana 32%
Nebraska 17%
North Dakota 18%
Ohio 22%
Oklahoma 20%
South Dakota 33%
Tennessee 35%
Wisconsin 24%

The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center database was used to identify at-risk regions with persistently moist growing conditions. The Soil Moisture Map (inset) shows persistently high levels of moisture (dark green) in several corn-growing US states from May 31st to August 27th.

Comparing this information to the corn crop quality as determined by the USDA Crop Progress and Conditions Report (see table) indicates several corn-producing states are at risk of corn crops that are contaminated by mycotoxins.

According to the Climate Prediction Center, the following states have had consistently anomalous soil moisture: Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. Those states have also had double-digit percentage of fair, poor, or very poor growing conditions for corn; as have Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The table below indicates those levels.

This animation overlays the soil moisture data from the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center with that of the crop conditions from the USDA Crop Progress and Prediction Report.

Sporadic reports of mycotoxin contamination have already begun to filter in as harvest season for many grains gets underway across the US. Not all crops are affected, but it’s essential to establish whether contamination has occurred in your supply chain and at what level.

If you or your suppliers are in the affected areas where factors conducive to mycotoxin contamination are prevalent, EnviroLogix strongly recommends careful sampling and testing. EnviroLogix makes a variety of test kits for testing mycotoxins in most grain types.

A list of EnviroLogix’ most popular mycotoxin test kits for use with the EnviroLogix QuickScan II quantitative GMO and mycotoxin detection instrument appears below:

Contact us if you have questions or concerns about how mycotoxin contamination might be present in the grain in your supply chain. We can be reached at (866) 408-4597 or info@envirologix.com.

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Mycotoxins in Non-GMO Feed Grains

Posted on by Brian Harris

Eager to supply the growing demand for organically produced milk and meat, many farms are testing corn, soy, and other feed components for GMOs. But what about mycotoxins?

The limited supply of non-GMO organic grains, which we wrote about last time, sometimes forces buyers to accept more broken and imperfect grains…the most susceptible to fungal infestation and possibly the development of mycotoxins, a toxic byproduct of certain fungi.

Some mycotoxins not only reduce yields, but also cause irreparable harm and even death. Whether feeding pigs, cattle, or poultry, mycotoxin testing is crucial to the success and profitability of organic milk and meat production.

For example, pigs are extremely sensitive to mycotoxins; breeding losses and hampered weight gain can reduce margins to the point of non-profitability. Mycotoxins are detrimental to poultry as well, one of the fastest-growing segments of organic demand. With effects such as poor gut integrity and gizzard erosion, broiler, turkey, and egg production margins are at risk.

The U.S. FDA regulates mycotoxin levels in food and feed, but organic producers are limited in their mycotoxin risk management and health prevention tools. By testing frequently along the feed supply chain, farmers, suppliers and producers alike can be confident in the animals’ health and better capitalize on this growing market.

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