FUNGAL DETERIORATION OF BAGS DURING INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT OF CORN SOYA MILK - TEST SHIPMENT

Losses due to mold deterioration have developed in shipments of dry corn‐soya‐milk (CSM) made through the U.S. Food for Peace Program. USDA, the dry milling industry and a container manufacturer cooperated in a large‐scale test shipment from Milwaukee, WI, to Cochin, India. Conventional multiwall paper bags and two types of polyethylene‐coated bags of CSM were randomly stowed in different areas of the ship. During unloading, 13% of all bags had visible mold. Surface fungal counts on both conventional and poly‐coated bags had increased a hundredfold during transit. However, mold penetration was slight and contents were unaffected. Mold penetrated and destroyed conventional bags stored under special conditions to induce mold growth, whereas penetration of poly‐coated bags was usually associated with a fracture and was less severe. Bag structure, CSM temperature and ventilation were identified as factors influencing mold losses. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved