INCIDENCE AND LEVELS OF FUSARIUM-MONILIFORME, FUSARIUM-PROLIFERATUM AND FUMONISINS IN CORN AND CORN-BASED FOODS AND FEEDS

Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon occurs worldwide on com intended for human and animal consumption. A closely related species Fusarium proliferatum also occurs frequently on com. Yellow dent com, white dent com, white and yellow popcorn and sweetcorn may be contaminated. Both organisms are capable of producing a group of toxins known as fumonisins, of which Fumonisin B1 (FB1), Fumonisin B2 (FB2) and Fumonisin B3 (FB3) are most common. Fumonisins have been found in com and corn-based foods worldwide. Fumonisins may be found in sound whole kernel com at levels at or below 1.0 mug/g. By contrast animal disease problems begin to occur at fumonisin levels above 5.0 to 10.0 mug/g. Com-based food products that have the most frequent and highest fumonisin levels, besides whole kernels, are com meal and com grits, In the United States, com meal has been found contaminated with Fumonisin B1 at levels from 0.5 to 2.05 mug/g, and grits from 0.14 to 0.27 mug/g. Com flakes, com pops, com chips and tortilla chips have been found negative for fumonisins. Popcorn, sweetcorn and hominy com have been found contaminated with sporadic, low levels (0.01 to 0.08 mug/g) of fumonisins. The effects of processing on fumonisins in com are still largely unknown. Heating may cause a loss of fumonisins in com, but it may be a loss of detectability rather than degradation.