Research Publications (Food Safety)

Mycotoxins pose a major problem to poultry production as a result of feed contamination which has deleterious consequences such as production losses and human health risks. A total of 158 chicken feed samples were randomly collected from 46 consenting poultry farms in Oyo State throughout the wet season (April–October; 91 samples) and the dry season (November–March; 67 samples), including compounded feed (n = 129) and feed ingredients (n = 29).

Organic acids and essential oils are commonly used in the poultry industry as antimicrobials and for their beneficial effects on gut health, growth performance, and meat quality. A common postharvest storage fungal colonist, Aspergillus flavus, contaminates corn, the primary component of poultry feed, with the highly detrimental mycotoxin, aflatoxin.

In 2008, the African Postharvest Losses Information Systems project (APHLIS, accessed on 6 September 2022) developed an algorithm for estimating the scale of cereal postharvest losses (PHLs). The relevant scientific literature and contextual information was used to build profiles of the PHLs occurring along the value chains of nine cereal crops by country and province for 37 sub-Saharan African countries.

Mycotoxins contamination and pest infestation of foods and feeds represent a pivotal threat for food safety and security worldwide, with crucial implications for human and animal health. Controlled atmosphere could be a sustainable strategy to reduce mycotoxins content and counteract the vitality of deleterious organisms in foodstuff.

A total of 603 samples of selected spices from different seasons (winter and summer) were analyzed for the occurrence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), total AFs, and tocopherols. The findings revealed that 120 (38.7%) samples from the summer and 136 (46.4%) samples from the winter season were observed to be infected with AFB1 and a large amount of AFs. The highest means of both AFB1 and total Afs were observed in red pepper, i.e., 15.5 ± 3.90 µg/kg and 22.90 ± 4.10 µg/kg, respectively.

Soy sauce aroma-type baijiu-producing regions are mostly in southwest China (Guizhou and Sichuan province) with a hot and humid subtropical monsoon climate, which is conducive to the propagation of toxigenic fungi. This suggests that there is a risk of potential contamination by mycotoxins in the soy sauce aroma-type baijiu production process, which poses significant food safety risks. Few studies on the safety of mycotoxins in soy sauce aroma-type baijiu production exist.

Aspergillus flavus is a toxigenic fungal colonizer of fruits and cereals and may produce one of the most important mycotoxins from a food safety perspective, aflatoxins. Therefore, its growth and mycotoxin production should be effectively avoided to protect consumers’ health. Among the safe and green antifungal strategies that can be applied in the field, biocontrol is a recent and emerging strategy that needs to be explored.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a most potent carcinogenic secondary metabolite produced by Aspergillus flavus. As a food safety concern, development of a rapid, cost effective, sensitive and easy to use method for the detection of aflatoxin is of prime requirement. In this study, AFB1 was conjugated with bovine serum albumin (BSA), and AFB1-BSA conjugate was purified by HPLC. Purification was confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, mycotoxicoses constitute the second most pressing food safety problem worldwide, with most cases occurring in developing countries. Maize (Zea mays L.), the main staple for many Latin Americans, is one of the best suitable substrates for mycotoxigenic Aspergillus fungi. Aflatoxins (AFs) produced primarily by Aspergillus flavus, are of significant concern, especially in developing countries.

Concerns regarding food safety and ‘One Health’ are increasing globally. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), a human carcinogenic toxin, is excreted by lactating animals in their milk after consumption of feed contaminated with aflatoxin B1. The present cross-sectional study aimed to determine the occurrence of AFM1 in cattle and buffalo milk produced in rural and peri-urban areas under different agro-climatic conditions of Chhattisgarh, India, and assesses human health risks.

Aflatoxins (AFs) are among the most harmful fungal secondary metabolites imposing serious health risks on both household animals and humans. The more frequent occurrence of aflatoxins in the feed and food chain is clearly foreseeable as a consequence of the extreme weather conditions recorded most recently worldwide. Furthermore, production parameters, such as unadjusted variety use and improper cultural practices, can also increase the incidence of contamination.

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a hydroxylated metabolite of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) that can be excreted in milk of cows after consuming contaminated feed. The aim of this study consisted of a field monitoring to assess the contamination levels of AFB1 in 60 feed samples from two feeding systems for high-yielding dairy cows and of AFM1 in the corresponding raw milk samples.

Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus are two species able to produce aflatoxins in foodstuffs, and in particular in hazelnuts, at harvest and during postharvest phase. As not all the strains of these species are aflatoxin producers, it is necessary to develop techniques that can detect aflatoxigenic from not aflatoxigenic strains.

Preharvest mycotoxin contamination of field-grown crops is influenced not only by the host genotype, but also by inoculum load, insect pressure and their confounding interactions with seasonal weather. In two different field trials, we observed a preference in the natural infestation of corn earworm (CEW; Helicoverpa zea Boddie) to specific maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes and investigated this observation.

Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites produced by specific strains of fungi, especially Aspergillus spp. These natural toxins are mainly found in soil, decaying vegetation and food storage systems and are particularly abundant during drought stress. Aflatoxin contamination is one of the most important threats to food safety and human health due to its toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic properties.

As a class of mycotoxins with regulatory and public health significance, aflatoxins (e.g., aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2) have attracted unparalleled attention from government, academia and industry due to their chronic and acute toxicity. Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites of various Aspergillus species, which are ubiquitous in the environment and can grow on a variety of crops whereby accumulation is impacted by climate influences.

Push‐pull involves intercropping of cereals with Desmodium as a ‘push’ crop and planting Napier grass/Brachiaria as the ‘pull’ crop at the border. The technology has been reported to effectively control stemborers, striga weed and fall armyworm (FAW), and to improve soil nutrition resulting in increased grain yield.

In this study, melon (n = 60) and sesame (n = 60) seeds purchased from markets within Benue and Nasarawa states, respectively, in Nigeria, during two seasons (dry and wet), were analysed for fungal and mycotoxin contamination in order to determine the safety of these foods for human consumption.