Ozonation procedure for removal of mycotoxins in maize: A promising screening approach for improvement of food safety.

Mycotoxins are well known secondary metabolites of various fungi. They pose a significant threat to human and animal when present in food or feed. They can be responsible for losses in grain production and in livestock or human intoxication. In this study, several mycotoxins were detected in Aspergillus fumigatus contaminated maize kernels. The contaminated kernels were treated with gaseous ozone at a concentration of 500 and 3000 ppm for 1 hour. Depending on the specific compound, the contamination level was reduced by up to 100%. This screening research showed that a concentration of ozone as high as 3000 ppm could be sufficient to completely remove several toxic compounds from the maize matrix.