Determination of Aflatoxin in Maize Produced in Two Regions of Togo.
Togo, like other countries in the West African sub-region, does not have its own phytosanitary legislation in relation to acceptable levels of aflatoxin in foodstuffs. The country is in fact
subject to the standards of the Codex Alimentarius which postulates a threshold of acceptability of 10 µg/kg for maize.
The field observations allowed us to identify poor storage conditions for the grain. Indeed, bags of maize are often stored in the open air covered by a tarpaulin at nightfall, or in stores where it is excessively hot because there is no ventilation. All of the women surveyed revealed that they do not use any products to preserve the cereal, to control any mould infestation nor to control insects. The lack of means of prevention makes the cereal even more vulnerable and more exposed to any asparagus contamination. These poor storage conditions found in the field are probable sources of proliferation of the contaminant.
The first victims are the children because they consume corn very early. In Togo, post-weaning meals are essentially made up of maize-meal-based porridges. This confirms the results of
Egal et al which showed that exposure of children to aflatoxin in Togo was linked to high maize consumption. This exposure may cause stunted growth and kwashiorkor. In Togo, given to the frequency of consumption of maize and other products likely to be contaminated, the standard should be lower than that of the European Union. This makes the results of our study even more alarming. Togo should then have its own standards.
Adv Food Technol Nutr Sci Open J. 2020; 6(1): 42-46. doi: 10.17140/AFTNSOJ-6-167
