Mycotoxins are toxins produced by mold and are extremely toxic, more so than pesticides. Levels of 1500 ppb or 1,5ppm were found in dog food and was responsible for dog poisoning in a very short time.
Its not just corn, all grains are infested with mold and mycotoxins but in most grain we only eat the inner endsperm and not the outer layer of bran which has the most mold and mycotoxins. Corn is the most notorious and is infested especially with the most toxic mycotoxin-aflatoxins
The traditional proces of nixtamalization does reduce mycotoxins substantially , like 90%-94%, but the modern commercial process is somehow shortened, the corn is not soaked for a longer period and the process is done quickly.
Some analysis of american tortillas I could found show high infestation:
http://www.skinandallergynews.com/filea ... 4_main.pdf
The question about the safety of eating any corn or masa harina remains, I wonder how many liver cirrhosis are not diagnosed properly but are due to mycotoxins??If anybody can find any studies or analysis on mycotoxin levels in commercial corn products I would really be interested.
Its not just corn, all grains are infested with mold and mycotoxins but in most grain we only eat the inner endsperm and not the outer layer of bran which has the most mold and mycotoxins. Corn is the most notorious and is infested especially with the most toxic mycotoxin-aflatoxins
The traditional proces of nixtamalization does reduce mycotoxins substantially , like 90%-94%, but the modern commercial process is somehow shortened, the corn is not soaked for a longer period and the process is done quickly.
Some analysis of american tortillas I could found show high infestation:
http://www.skinandallergynews.com/filea ... 4_main.pdf
The question about the safety of eating any corn or masa harina remains, I wonder how many liver cirrhosis are not diagnosed properly but are due to mycotoxins??If anybody can find any studies or analysis on mycotoxin levels in commercial corn products I would really be interested.