The Missouri Department of Agriculture is happy again to report the results on our annual monitoring of aflatoxin in corn. This survey has been reported yearly since 1993. We also analyze all customer complaint samples for aflatoxin when symptoms suggest adulteration. Laboratory tests are conducted to determine the average crude protein in corn. In 2020, the average crude protein for corn was 7.59%, higher than 7.45% in 2019’s corn crop. Each sample was adjusted to a 13.5% moisture level.

Samples of corn are drawn from counties having an expected production of greater than 1.5 million bushels, with one sample added for each additional two million bushels produced. 154 samples were tested for aflatoxin. Only seven positive results were found. Two samples tested to be in the 10-20 ppb range, three in the 20-49 ppb range and two in the 100-199 ppb range. Eighty-one samples were tested for fumonisin. Twenty-two positives were found; nine in the 5-10.0 ppm, eleven in the 10.1-20 ppm range, and one in the 21.1-30 ppm range.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture is committed to food safety and quality for the protection of our state’s consumers. Our mission is to continue to serve, promote, and protect the agriculture producers, processors and consumers of Missouri food, fuel and fiber products.

Crude Protein Summary Last Ten Years

  2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Corn 8.20 9.12 7.65 7.82 6.94 7.38 7.68 8.28 7.45 7.59

2019 Corn Summary - Overall

Summary of All Samples

  Avg 'As Rec.'
Crude Protein
Average
Moisture
(# Afla)
(Tested)
Total
Tons
C. Protein
at 13.5 Mois.
Summary of All Samples: 212 spls 7.33 14.89 144 173,920 7.45

Summary by Area

  C. Protein Mois (# Afla)
(Tested)
Tons CP@13.5Mois.
Ken Disselhorst - Northeast 45 spls 7.23 16.09 30 24,395 7.47
Roxane Magnus - South Central/Bootheel 26 spls 7.23 13.88 18 76,832 7.26
Meridee Haworth - East Central 17 spls 7.43 14.53 16 1,600 7.52
Denver Alsup - Southwest 14 spls 7.40 13.77 13 3,609 7.42
Ethan Willis - Mid - Southwest 25 spls 7.14 14.13 17 11,131 7.19
Aaron Baugh - West / Central 38 spls 7.31 14.95 19 16,832 7.44
Doreen Mausbach - Northwest 47 spls 7.54 15.09 31 39,521 7.68

Crude Protein Summary by Year

  2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Ave C.Protein at 13.5% Mois. 7.82 6.94 7.38 7.68 8.29 7.45

Alfatoxin Summary

  0 - 10ppb 10-20 20-49 50-99 100-199 200-299 >=300
Findings (ppb) na 0 0 1 0 0 0

Alfatoxin Summary by Area

Area # Samples # Positive Positive amount (ppm)
Ken Disselhorst - Northeast 30 0  
Roxane Magnus - South Central/Bootheel 18 0  
Meridee Haworth - East Central/Southeast 15 0  
Denver Alsup - Southwest 13 1 68
Ethan Willis - Mid - Southwest 17 0  
Aaron Baugh - West/Central 19 0  
Doreen Mausbach - Northwest 31 0  

Number of Samples Tested: 144

Number Positive Samples: 1

#≥20 ppb = 1