Fate of fumonisins in the processing of whole maize kernels during dry-milling

The aim of this research was to evaluate how the amount of fumonisins in a kernel is re-distributed over the different processing products. The study focused on the description of the dry-milling process, with details on the products and by-products, milling yield, and the granulometric and chemical composition. Maize kernels and four derived milling fractions from twenty-four lots were sampled from 2002 and 2006. The main results were: (a) the animal meal and germ had a higher fumonisin content than the unprocessed grain, while human meals were less contaminated; (b) there is an inverse relationship between the particle size and fumonisin contents in meals; (c) toxin tends to concentrate in the bran and germ, while the endosperm is only partially contaminated.