Aflatoxins in pozol, a nixtamalized, maize-based food

To determine whether pozol, a nixtamalized maize-based food was contaminated with aflatoxins, samples of non-fermented pozol were collected during the period November 2002 to April 2003 from local markets at Comitan in Chiapas, Mexico. The samples were analyzed for the presence of aflatoxins. Nineteen out of one hundred and eleven samples were contaminated with aflatoxin B2 (AFB2) and traces of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). The percentage of samples contaminated with AFB2 in pozol prepared with white maize was 5.4%. Pozol mixed with toasted cacao paste had a contamination rate of 41.5%. No aflatoxins were detected in pozol prepared with yellow maize. It was found that only 1 of 19 contaminated samples had aflatoxin concentrations above 20 ppb.