Aflatoxin in freshly harvested 1979 georgia corn and formation after collection

In the crop year 1979, freshly harvested dent corn was coUected at maturity in 57 sets of 2 equivalent samples/set. One set was dried the day of collection in Georgia and the other set was shipped to Peoria in corrugated cardboard boxes before drying, The set that was not dried in Georgia was shelled and dried as soon as possible after arrival in Peoria to prevent further aflatoxin formation. Both sets of samples were analyzed randomly at the Northern Regional Research Center, Peoria. In 22 Peoria‐dried samples, aflatoxin was detected in levels ranging from 2 to 449 ng/g total toxin but was not detected in the matching samples dried die same day of collection in Georgia. It took an average of 7 days to ship samples from Georgia. Of the 57 samples dried in Georgia, 63% were negative for aflatoxin; aflatoxin was below violative levels (>20 ng/g) in 82%; the average aflatoxin level in all samples was 36 ng/g. In the matching 57 samples dried in Peoria after shipment, aflatoxin was detected in all but 37%; aflatoxin was below violative levels in 70% of the samples; the average aflatoxin level in all samples that had been dried later was 78 ng/g. There was a significant increase in aflatoxin‐positive samples associated with shipment prior to drying. These results indicate that aflatoxin formed during shipment of the 1979 freshly harvested corn samples from Georgia.