Application of Bentonite to Reduce the Aflatoxin B1 Concentration in the Traditional Nixtamalization Process.

Aflatoxicosis in animals and potentially liver cancer in humans can be caused by ingestion of diets contaminated with mycotoxins particularly aflatoxin B₁ (AfB₁), a serious environmental hazard. In spite of the great amount of research toward preventing aflatoxin in grains it continues to be produced under stressful climatic conditions. One of the main grains affected is corn, America’s biggest crop and a staple of the global food supply. This grain is used in many ways such as: corn steep liquor, starch, sugar, whiskey, ethanol, cornsilk, corn cobs, oil, glue, cornmeal, tortillas, between other food products, which some times are contaminated with mycotoxins. A clean process alternative is to use natural adsorbents of mycotoxin such as bentonites. The main objective of this research is to use bentonites during the traditional nixtamalization process to reduce the aflatoxin concentration in the final product: tortilla. Corn samples were tested before and after the cooking procedure, the bentonite was used during the boiling process under alkaline conditions, the remain water, called nejayote tested for aflatoxins as well the suspension from “masa” (corn ground after cooked) dissolution in water. Adding the bentonita into nixtamalization process minimize the aflatoxin concentration in a 20% of the original concentration. However it is necessary to do some adjustments during the cooking process.