How do you control aflatoxin in maize?
How do you control aflatoxin in maize?
Field drying and mechanical drying were found most effective for controlling Aflatoxin contamination in maize. A Rapid BGYF test was developed to estimate Aflatoxin levels and is being used by many maize dealers. Chemicals were tested for controlling the causal fungi.
How do you control aflatoxin?
Post- harvest interventions that reduce aflatoxin include rapid and proper drying, proper transportation and packaging, sorting, cleaning, drying, smoking, post harvest insect control, and the use of botanicals or synthetic pesticides as storage protectants.
Which microbes produce aflatoxin?
ABSTRACT. Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, and Aspergillus nomius contaminate corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, tree nuts, figs, ginger, nutmeg, and milk. They produce aflatoxins, especially aflatoxin B1, which is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
What is aflatoxin contamination?
Aflatoxins are a family of toxins produced by certain fungi that are found on agricultural crops such as maize (corn), peanuts, cottonseed, and tree nuts. The main fungi that produce aflatoxins are Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, which are abundant in warm and humid regions of the world.
What can farmers do to control aflatoxin levels in the food they grow?
Methods include weed and insect control, the application of lime or gypsum to the soil, good irrigation practices, and the application of farmyard manure or man-made biological control agents. Groundnuts are more susceptible to aflatoxin contamination because they grow directly in the soil.
How do you control the spread of Aspergillus flavus?
To protect food and feedstuffs and to avoid aflatoxin contamination from A. flavus, there are several possible control strategies employed in peanut such as treating peanuts with fungicides, fumigants, or biocontrol agents (Kong et al., 2010). Although the use of fungicides for controlling A.
How do you test for corn aflatoxin?
Scanning with a black light (366nm) has been used to identify samples that potentially contain aflatoxin. Kojic acid, also formed by actively growing Aspergillus flavus, will fluoresce blue-green-yellow under the black light.
What is aflatoxin PDF?
Abstract. Aflatoxins are a group of naturally occurring mycotoxins that are produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, species of fungi that typically affect corn and peanuts, which are ingredients, used in both food and feed products.
What is aflatoxin in maize?
Aflatoxins are toxic chemicals produced by a fungus, Aspergillus flavus. The fungus occurs naturally in soils, but under hot, dry conditions, it can grow and spread to a variety of crops. Maize and groundnut are two crops that are especially susceptible to contamination with aflatoxins.
What environmental conditions favor the contamination of food with aflatoxin?
Favorable conditions include high moisture content and high temperature. At least 13 different types of aflatoxin are produced in nature with aflatoxin B1 considered as the most toxic.
Which one is considered major source of aflatoxin contamination?
Abstract. Aflatoxins are very toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi. Fermented foods are considered major sources of aflatoxin contamination. Consumption of fermented food contaminated with high amounts of aflatoxins often results in serious health complications.
What is the newest tool used against aflatoxin?
Aflasafe™ has been shown to consistently reduce aflatoxin contamination in maize and groundnut by 80–99% during crop development, post-harvest storage, and throughout the value chain in several countries across Africa (Grace et al., 2015).