2.2.7. Electrolyzed Oxidizing Water

EOW is prepared by introducing tap water and salt into an electrolysis chamber. It is considered a sanitizer or disinfectant because of its bactericidal and fungicidal effects. It is characterized by its specific pH value, its oxidation-reduction potential, ORP, and the available chlorine concentration, ACC [104]. The physicochemical properties of EOW used to treat foods are ACC from 10 to 100 ppm and ORP from −800 mV to higher than 1000 mV. The pH depends on the type of water used in the research, acid, slightly acid, neutral, or alkaline electrolyzed water [104,105]. Research was conducted to study the effect of different pH values of EOW on fungal elimination and DON reduction in wheat grains. This study showed that for acid-electrolyzed water, the optimal pH for reducing fungi was 2.5 and 5.5 to eliminate DON. For alkaline electrolyzed water, the optimal pH value to eliminate DON was 9.5, while pH values between 8.5 and 12.5 were effective for eliminating fungi also. The optimal pH values of the alkaline EOW (pH 9.5) and the acid EOW (pH 5.5) did not affect the wheat characteristics such as color, moisture content, and protein and gluten contents. The starch morphology also did not change significantly. A beneficial effect was caused by the acid-electrolyzed water on wheat flour, causing higher stability, increased farinograph quality numbers, and lowered softening degree [91].

#### 2.2.8. Electron Beam Irradiation

The electron beam is a type of ionizing irradiation [99]. It is generated by the use of a safe dose of an electric accelerator [63]. It is a non-invasive, non-thermal, and eco-friendly detoxification method used for cereal-based products in order to reduce microbial and mycotoxin contamination [106,107]. This irradiation treatment was used to decontaminate naturally contaminated red pepper powder. Low doses of 6 and 10 kGy reduced the yeasts and mold count and the total plate counts by 3, 4.4, and 4.5 log CFU/g, respectively. A higher dose of 30 kGy achieved a 25% reduction in OTA. Electron beam irradiation is more effective in the reduction of microorganisms than mycotoxins. It is worth noting that this treatment had low detrimental effects on the quality of the treated pepper powder, causing a slight change in color and less than 15% reduction of total phenols, carotenoids, and antioxidant activity [92]. Another study conducted by *Kim et al*. used irradiation as a nonthermal decontamination method for an uncooked Korean cereal product called Saengshik. Electron beam irradiation was conducted at 10 kGy and showed an increase in the total phenolics and a decrease in the total carotenoids and chlorophylls with preservation of antioxidant capacity when the irradiation was conducted at doses lower than 10 kGy [108].
