FUMONISIN-CONTAMINATED MAIZE - PHYSICAL TREATMENT FOR THE PARTIAL DECONTAMINATION OF BULK SHIPMENTS

Ten maize samples, randomly selected from a bulk shipment imported int o South Africa, were characterized by a wide distribution in particula te size. Following fractionation by sieving through a 3 mm screen, the 'kernels' (fractions greater-than-or-equal-to 3 mm) corresponding to between 80.0 and 95-3% of the samples by mass, were contaminated with total fumonisin levels of between 530 and 1890 ng/g. Conversely, those fractions termed 'fines' (< 3 mm) had significantly higher total fumo nisin concentrations of between 12 340 and 27 460 ng/g, and accounted for between 4.7 and 20.0% of the samples by mass. The data indicated t hat removal of the 'fines' resulted in overall reductions in total fum onisin levels of between 26.2 and 69.4%. It is suggested that initial removal of 'fines' from bulk shipments of maize, prior to further proc essing, could be considered as a preliminary fumonisin-decontamination procedure.