Effect of commercial processing on fumonisin concentrations of maize-based foods

Fumonisin-contaminated maize was used to study the effect of three cooking and food processing methods and residual contamination of the food product. Frying, autoclaving and extrusion were examined with naturally-contaminated maize meal, maize flour and sweet maize kernels, all at two fumonisin concentrations. High Pressure Liquid Chromatography determination of fumonisins B1 and B2 and hydrolized fumonisin B1 (AP1) were performed in unprocessed materials and at the end of the experimental runs. Reductions of fumonisins concentration in processed products were obtained for fried polenta and from one of the two runs of extruded maize batter. These reductions were consistent with previous studies of the thermal degradation of fumonisins. Autoclaving sweet maize kernels apparently resulted in reductions of fumonisin concentrations that were highly temperature dependent, but this needs further study. The unexpectedly large reduction in fumonisin concentrations in the extrusion processing of batter with high initial concentrations also needs further investigation. There was no evidence that AP1 was formed under any of the conditions tested.