Case Study #67 1. Headline: Use of physical systems alternatives to synthetic chemicals for storage of hard wheat 2. Background: See below. 3. Cleaner Production Principle: New technology, good housekeeping 4. Description of Cleaner Production Application: This case study, carried out in 1992, was achieved by using applying a variety of physical storage systems for wheat storage rather than the addition of chemical substances. Physical systems are claimed not to damage the product and consequently to be harmless to consumers. In the traditional process, traces of toxic chemicals (below legal limits) might remain in the product after industrial processing. Fumigation gases (phosphine) used for wheat preservation were released to the atmosphere. Among the various systems (i.e. nitrogen, carbon dioxide, forced cooling) tested by the food industry for the preservation of hard wheat stored in silos or horizontal garners, carbon dioxide and force cooling were adopted. The resistance to biological attacks is reported as excellent and the product quality greatly improved. The carbon dioxide and forced cooling alternatives avoid toxic residues that had previously been present even at the end of a purification process (from wheat to pasta). 5. Economics: Investment costs: The carbon dioxide and forced cooling technologies required structural changes at the storage facilities. Assuming 10 years of amortization time the costs are respectively: for a cement made silo/garner (lire per 100 kg): via the C02 method: 510 and via forced cooling: 410. Metallic made silo/garner required investments of: via the C02 method: 180; and via forced cooling 290. Operational and Maintenance Costs ran: --for the cement made silo/garner 125 via C02 method and 114 via forced cooling --for the metallic made silo/garner: 143 via the C02 method and 209 via forced cooling. Similar operation and maintenance costs for the traditional technology using the chemical phosphine ran 280. 6. Advantages: The direct environmental and human health benefits follow: -Better food product characteristics: residual toxic substances in the food matrix are eliminated -Atmospheric pollution of gaseous toxic chemicals used for hard wheat preservation is also eliminated -Waste liquors containing toxic substance from the washing process of hard wheat are eliminated. 7. Constraints: The use of carbon dioxide could generate in the near future environmental protection problems if the gas used in the process is released to the atmosphere. Today specific regulations about carbon dioxide release do not exist, they could be adopted in the near future because of the considerable amount of gas released to the atmosphere by energy production, industrial activities and natural processes. In addition, the costs of energy involved in forced cooling can be high. 8. Contacts: Mr Franco Dimarchi Barilla G&R F.lli SpA Via Mantova 166 I - 43100 PARMA Italy TEL: 39 521 2621 FAX: 39 521 270 621 Mr G Bardone ENEA CRE Casaccia Dip Ambiente Via Anguillarese 301 00060 - S Maria di Galeria ROME Italy TEL: 396 3048 6662 FAX: 396 3048 3220 9. Keywords: Italy, food processing, wheat, new technology, phosphine, pesticide, cooling, refrigeration, agriculture 10. Reviewer's comments: This case study was submitted to UNEP IE in 1994 by Italy's ENEA. It was reviewed and edited by UNEP IE in July 1995. It has not undergone a formal technical review.