Cereal Chem 51:829 - 838.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Microbiology of Corn and Dry Milled Corn Products.

R. J. Bothast, R. F. Rogers, and C. W. Hesseltine. Copyright 1974 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

A microbiological survey was conducted on corn, grits, and flour from three mills in the Kansas-Nebraska- Oklahoma area. Duplicate samples were taken 1 week apart in November, February, May, and August. The frequency of mold infection for whole-corn kernels ranged from 55 to 77% and was highest in February. Species of Fusarium and Penicillium occurred in approximately 50% of the kernels examined. In addition, Aspergillus flavus, other species of Aspergillus, Nigrospora, Alternaria, Helminthosporium, Trichoderma, Chaetomium, and mucoraceous fungi were identified. Counts per gram of sample were determined for total aerobic bacteria, psychrotrophic bacteria, total coliforms, fecal streptococci, total thermophilic aerobic spores, flat-sour spores, total molds, A. flavus, and actinomycetes. Microbial counts were usually lowest in grits, followed by whole corn, and then flour. All samples were negative for salmonellae and only a few contained low levels of fecal coliforms, Clostridium perfringens and coagulase-positive staphylococci.