Supervising programme of aflatoxins in Mexican corn

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Food Safety
• Mycotoxicology

Background:

• Aflatoxin contamination in maize was identified in Tamaulipas, Mexico, in 1989.
• This prompted the Mexican government to establish a comprehensive Supervising Programme to monitor and control maize quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the implementation and outcomes of the maize aflatoxin Supervising Programme in Tamaulipas.
• To assess the effectiveness of interventions in reducing aflatoxin levels in maize.

Main Methods:

• Utilized monoclonal immunoaffinity column method quantified by fluorometry as the official analysis.
• Implemented extensive chemical analysis (approx. 60,000) with random sampling (2 kg/truck).
• Developed and disseminated a Technological Package for farmers, including optimized agricultural practices.

Main Results:

• Significant reduction in crop contamination observed by 1992 following the Programme's interventions and the Technological Package.
• Storage contamination persisted, particularly during specific summer weeks, indicating a need for post-harvest management.
• Decontamination methods (aluminosilicates, ammonia) were explored but abandoned due to high costs.

Conclusions:

• Integrated management strategies addressing both field and storage contamination are essential for a complete solution to the aflatoxin maize problem.
• The Technological Package demonstrated success in mitigating field contamination.
• Ongoing monitoring and control in storage facilities are crucial for long-term aflatoxin management in maize.