Chemical inactivation of aflatoxins in peanut protein ingredients

Aflatoxin contamination of peanuts has posed a threat to the peanut industry in utilizing peanuts as a source of a low-cost protein ingredient for food and feed. Although the best approach to containing the aflatoxin problem in peanuts is prevention, it appears that chemical inactivation of aflatoxin in contaminated raw material provides the best means to salvaging the contaminated material. Several chemical reagents have been investigated for their efficacy in destroying aflatoxins present in raw peanuts and defatted peanut meal. Using certain oxidizing agents such as NaOCl, H2O2, and benzoyl peroxide; bases such as ammonia, methylamine, and calcium hydroxide; and aldehydes such as formaldehyde, contaminated raw peanuts or defatted peanut meal have been demonstrated to yield peanut meals, protein isolates, and concentrates having trace amounts or nondetectable levels of aflatoxins. Processing conditions for inactivating aflatoxins using these chemicals were investigated. The chemical treatments had little effect on the physiochemical properties of the detoxified protein product. The advantages and disadvantages of using these chemicals for inactivation of aflatoxins are discussed.