Aflatoxin contamination in Tanzania: quantifying the problem in maize and groundnuts from rural households
Open Access
- 14 October 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Brill in World Mycotoxin Journal
- Vol. 14 (4), 553-564
- https://doi.org/10.3920/wmj2020.2646
Abstract
Aflatoxins are toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites, produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, which contaminate food and feed and threaten human and animal health. To assess the prevalence of aflatoxins in Tanzania, 180 groundnut and 200 maize samples were collected from 9 and 10 districts, respectively. Aflatoxin contamination was quantified using high performance liquid chromatography. Aflatoxins were detected in samples collected from all districts and prevalence ranged from 92 to 100% for groundnuts and 10 to 80% for maize. The mean aflatoxin level for groundnuts was 6.37 μg/kg and the highly contaminated sample had 40.31 μg/kg. For maize, the mean aflatoxin level was 12.47 μg/kg and the highly contaminated sample had 162.40 μg/kg. The estimated average probable daily intake (APDI) of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) from groundnuts consumption was 1.88 ng/kg body weight/day, while for maize, it ranged between 151.98-272.89 ng/kg body weight/day. The APDI for both groundnut and maize exceeded the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) of AFB1 for adults (1 ng/kg body weight/day), bringing about health concerns for populations in Tanzania. Another alarming finding was that 75% of the farmers who provided samples for analysis were not aware of aflatoxins or the negative health impacts from consuming contaminated products. Results reported in this paper show that aflatoxin contaminated staple crops are widely distributed in Tanzania and that the risk of human exposure is high due to diet preferences. Awareness campaigns are required to inform and protect farmers and consumers.Keywords
This publication has 30 references indexed in Scilit:
- Undernutrition, Poor Feeding Practices, and Low Coverage of Key Nutrition InterventionsPEDIATRICS, 2011
- Aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination of cassava products and maize grain from markets in Tanzania and republic of the CongoToxin Reviews, 2009
- Co-occurrence of fumonisins with aflatoxins in home-stored maize for human consumption in rural villages of TanzaniaFood Additives & Contaminants: Part A, 2008
- Risk assessment of aflatoxins in food in AfricaFood Additives & Contaminants: Part A, 2008
- Some major mycotoxins and their mycotoxicoses—An overviewInternational Journal of Food Microbiology, 2007
- Can phenolic compounds be used for the protection of corn from fungal invasion and mycotoxin contamination during storage?Food Microbiology, 2007
- Risk assessment of substances that are both genotoxic and carcinogenic: Report of an International Conference organized by EFSA and WHO with support of ILSI EuropeFood and Chemical Toxicology, 2006
- Aflatoxin Contamination of Commercial Maize Products during an Outbreak of Acute Aflatoxicosis in Eastern and Central KenyaEnvironmental Health Perspectives, 2005
- Preharvest Aflatoxin Contamination in Drought-Tolerant and Drought-Intolerant Peanut Genotypes1Peanut Science, 2000
- Background to the ADI/TDI/PTWIRegulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 1999