Remediation Process for Aflatoxin Contaminated Foods

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Mycotoxins are carcinogenic compounds that are produced by Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium molds on agricultural produce and affect up to 25 per cent of the worlds food crops. Aflatoxins are naturally occurring mycotoxins produced by two types of mold: Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established action levels of 20 ppb for aflatoxin present in food and 0.5 ppb for aflatoxin M1 in milk. These limits are established by the Agency to provide an adequate margin of safety to protect human and animal health. As such there is an ongoing need for economic processes for de-toxifying aflatoxin contaminated agricultural products intended for human and animal consumption. Remediation methods such as oxidation using ozone or ammoniation leave undesirable taste and odor residues on the product. The research in the Phase I will seek to determine the feasibility and economics of extracting aflatoxins in nuts and nut products using a cheap and environmentally benign solvent, which removes the toxin without producing or leaving toxic residues, retains nutritive value and does not alter significantly the technological properties of the nut.