Title: Control of Aflatoxin Production During Fermentation of Wild Rice
Abstract:The effect of water content of wild rice on aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus growing in the rice during fermentation, and influences of processing steps as means to reduce aflatoxin contamin...The effect of water content of wild rice on aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus growing in the rice during fermentation, and influences of processing steps as means to reduce aflatoxin contamination were investigated. Aflatoxin was either not detected or rarely observed during 31 days of storage when rice saturated with water or adjusted to contain 33% water was inoculated with spores of A. flavus and stored at 25 C. Detectable amounts of aflatoxin developed in rice maintained at 20% moisture. Aflatoxin B1 content of contaminated fermented wet wild rice was reduced by parching. Aflatoxin analyses of hulls and kernels from parched rice indicated that most of the aflatoxin B1 remained in the hulls; however, detectable amounts of aflatoxin B1 were present in hulled rice kernels. When wild rice was sterilized with ethylene oxide, saturated with water, stored at 25 C, and inoculated with A. flavus, the mold grew if the rice was mixed daily, but only 10 ppb aflatoxin appeared after 19 days of storage. A. flavus did not grow in similarly treated rice that was not mixed.Read More