Cereal Chem 57:373 - 375.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Preliminary Biological Evaluation of the Effect of Microwave Heating on High-Moisture Shelled Corn.

G. W. Nofsinger, J. E. Van Cauwenberge, R. A. Anderson, and R. J. Bothast. Copyright 1980 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Total mold counts on ambient-dried shelled corn remoistened to 23.6% moisture content were not affected by microwave heating temperatures of 42 and 51 C but were significantly reduced by microwave heating at 62 C. Total mold counts on freshly harvested shelled corn, although not affected by microwave heating temperatures of 55 C and lower, were significantly reduced by microwave heating at 57 C. In three lots of freshly harvested corn kernels (24.0-26.8% initial moisture content), internal molds were reduced from 100 to less than 20% by microwave heating at temperatures of 54-55 C. Germinability of these same lots of corn was significantly reduced at temperatures above 55 C and approached zero at 70 C.