Additional information

The study was conducted on 100 samples of maize and beans. Both the directly extracted essential oil from clove and pennyroyal were tested as well as their isolated active ingredients. The clove oil was found to be the most effective, followed by “eugenol”, its main active ingredient. The higher effectiveness of clove oil may be due to interaction between several substances. In any case, “eugenol” is more interesting because it is biodegradable and it does not leave residues that may affect the grain taste. In addition, it can be produced in a laboratory and thus it is cheaper. A dose of 2,5μL

/mL of eugenol has proved to be efficient in preventing fugal attacks in stored beans. Essential oils are volatile and are more active when they are in their gaseous state. This makes them ideal for spraying in controlled atmospheres, since they will not alter the taste of the stored food, they will not leave residues and they will not entail toxicological risks for consumers.