Treatment of Liquid Gluten Slurry to Reduce or Remove Aflatoxin

1 . A method for reducing aflatoxin in a grain gluten or corn gluten, the method comprising:

(a) preparing a grain gluten or corn gluten slurry; and

(b) treating the grain gluten or corn gluten slurry with ozone;

wherein the temperature of the grain gluten or corn gluten slurry in step (b) is from about 10 to about 60° C.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the grain gluten is a gluten derived from a grain selected from the group consisting of oats, rice, barley, wheat, spelt and rye.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is for reducing aflatoxin in corn gluten.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) is conducted by bubbling ozone gas through the grain gluten or corn gluten slurry.

5 . (canceled)

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the resulting grain gluten or corn gluten slurry has less than 200 parts per billion aflatoxin, as measured by the content of aflatoxin B1 using LC/MS.

7 . (canceled)

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the resulting grain gluten or corn gluten slurry has less than 20 parts per billion aflatoxin, as measured by the content of aflatoxin B1 using LC/MS.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the grain gluten or corn gluten slurry contains from about 10 wt % to about 20 wt % dry solids per litre.

10 . (canceled)

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the total ozone dosage is up to about 6.6 g ozone per litre of grain gluten or corn gluten slurry.

12 . (canceled)

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the total ozone dosage is from about 1.50 g to about 2.80 g ozone per litre of grain gluten or corn gluten slurry.

14 . (canceled)

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein during step (b) a liquid antifoaming agent or a dry antifoaming agent is added in an amount sufficent to prevent foaming during the addition of gas to the grain gluten or corn gluten slurry.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the liquid antifoaming agent is added during step (b).

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the grain gluten or corn gluten slurry in step (b) is from about 10 to about 30° C.

18 - 19 . (canceled)

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the grain gluten or corn gluten slurry is contaminated with greater than or equal to 20 parts per billion (ppb) aflatoxin.

21 - 22 . (canceled)

23 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dry solids component of the grain gluten or corn gluten slurry is contaminated with from about 100 to 500 ppb aflatoxin.

24 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the grain gluten or corn gluten slurry prepared in step (b) contains less than 1 ppb aflatoxin.

25 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment of the grain gluten or corn gluten slurry with ozone in step (b) lasts from about 15 minutes to 3 hours.

26 . (canceled)

27 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises producing one or more of:

(i) soluble and insoluble grain fibers, grain brans and grain gluten proteins from the treated grain gluten slurry obtained from step (b); or

(ii) soluble and insoluble corn fibers, corn brans and corn gluten proteins from the treated corn gluten slurry obtained from step (b).

28 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

(i) drying the treated grain gluten slurry to prepare a dried grain gluten meal; or

(ii) drying the treated corn gluten slurry to prepare a dried corn gluten meal.

29 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is for reducing aflatoxin in grain gluten, and wherein the method further comprises

drying the treated grain gluten slurry to prepare a dried grain gluten meal; and

producing one or more of soluble and insoluble grain fibers, grain brans and grain gluten proteins from the dried grain gluten meal.

30 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is for reducing aflatoxin in corn gluten, and wherein the method further comprises

drying the treated corn gluten slurry to prepare a dried grain gluten meal; and

producing one or more of soluble and insoluble corn fibers, corn brans and corn gluten proteins from the dried corn gluten meal.

31 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid component of the slurry is water.

32 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises wet-milling aflatoxin contaminated grains or corn kernels to produce grain gluten or corn gluten prior to preparing the grain gluten or corn gluten slurry.

33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the grain gluten or corn gluten produced by wet-milling is not dried prior to preparing the grain gluten or corn gluten slurry in step (a).