Mycotoxin contamination of food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Publikations-Art
- Kongressbeitrag
- Autoren
- Bankole, S., Schollenberger, M. and Drochner, W.
- Erscheinungsjahr
- 2006
- Veröffentlicht in
- 28. Mykotoxin Workshop
- Herausgeber
- Society for Mycotoxin Research
- Serie/Bezeichnung
- Mykotoxin Workshop
- Seite (von - bis)
- 37
- Tagungsort
- Bydgoszcz (Polen)
- Tagungsdatum
- 29.-31.05.2006
- Schlagworte
- mycotoxins, Mykotoxin, Mykotoxinbelastung, Sub-Saharan Africa
This report presents an overview on prevalence levels, acute and chronic effect of dietary exposures and management strategies currently under investigation against mycotoxin (mt.) contamination in sub Saharan Africa. From the African perspectives, two classes of mts., aflatoxins and fumonisins have been established to be widespread in major dietary staples. While aflatoxins occur mostly in maize and groundnuts, the prevalence of fumonisins is 100% or dose to it in all surveillance data that have been reported on maize from different parts of Africa. Limited surveys have also established the presence of ochratoxin A, while few data currently exist on the trichothecenes and zearalenone mt in Africa. The exposure to mt. particularly aflatoxins have also been demonstrated by their detection in analysed samples of urine, blood, breast milk and faeces of people in the region. Epidemiological studies have shown a wide range of toxic effect of mt. on Africans including the 2004 and 2005 acute aflatoxicoses episode in Kenya, carcinogenicity, growth retardation and reproductive toxicity. The prevailing hot and humid conditions in most parts of Africa provide excellent condition for growth of fungi including the toxigenic ones, making the production of mt. unavoidable in major dietary staples consumed in the region, while other contributory factors to mt. problem in the region include food insecurity and low literacy level. The 2003/2004 FAO enquiry shows that regulatory limits mostly for aflatoxins which are rarely enforced exist in 15 African countries covering 59% of the inhabitants in the region. The strategies currently under investigation to mitigate mt. problem in Africa include pre and post harvest management strategies with emphasis on biological control and use of plant products to arrest fungal growth during storage, enterosorbent clay technology, and the search for traditional techniques that could significantly reduce/detoxify mts. during food processing.