Stemming Aflatoxin pre- and post-harvest

waste in the groundnut value chain (GnVC)

in Malawi and Zambia

to improve food and nutrition security in

the smallholder farming families.

pag. 2

Acute

Microbiological

Phycotoxins

Some phytotoxins

Mycotoxins

Anthropogenic contaminants

Pesticide residues

Food additives

High

Low

Kuiper-Goodman,1998 pag. 3

Rating health risks from foods - acute

High

Low

Chronic

Mycotoxins

Anthropogenic contaminants

Some phytotoxins

Unbalanced diet

Phycotoxins

Food additives

Pesticide residues

Microbiological

Kuiper-Goodman,1998 pag. 4

Rating health risks from foods - chronic

Acute

Microbiological

Phycotoxins

Some phytotoxins

Mycotoxins

Anthropogenic contaminants

Pesticide residues

Food additives

High

Low

Chronic

Mycotoxins

Anthropogenic contaminants

Some phytotoxins

Unbalanced diet

Phycotoxins

Food additives

Pesticide residues

Microbiological

Kuiper - Goodman, 1998 pag. 5

Mycotoxins: important food contaminants

Fusaríum sp.

Aspergillus sp.

Penicillium sp.

Alternaria sp.

Claviceps sp.

• secondary fungal metabolites

• biological function: “weapons” against hosts and competitors

• > 400 mycotoxins are known today

• Cause an array of health effects

pag. 6

Mycotoxins: important food contaminants

Environment (Temp., humidity/moisture, insect damage…)

Host (almost any kind of food) Fungi

Contamination

pag. 8

Mycotoxins: biosynthesis

Change in temperature due to climate change according to

the IPCC (2007) report.

Developed world sub-Saharan Africa

pag. 10

Control possible?

Poor handling practices

pag. 12

Do we have the luxury to throw away?

Export - OK

SURVEY [n = 140, various food commodities - HPLC-FLD (Malawi)]

EU legislation

Consumed locally

Matumba et al 2015. Food Control,51, 236-239.

Import- OK

ag. 13

Impact of regulations on local consumers

High

Low

pag. 14

CRF GRANT

Stemming Aflatoxin pre- and post-harvest

waste in the groundnut value chain (GnVC)

in Malawi and Zambia

to improve food and nutrition security in

the smallholder farming families.

OUR INTERVENTION

1) To assess, validate and further develop promising pre and post harvest technologies

2) Document and disseminate successfully tested practices

3) To advocate for conducive national and regional policies and regulatory frameworks for stemming Aflatoxin

1) Evaluation of the effect of residue incorporation on pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination 2) Evaluation of effect of number of rows per ridge 3) Evaluation of effect of tie/box ridging and of number of rows per ridge season 4)Evaluation of Mandela cork 5)Evaluation of kennel sizing and Hand sorting on partitioning aflatoxin into various shelled groundnut grade sizes

Research

Single vs twin row

Farmer practice Twin vs Single row

Residual Incoperation!

• By hand

• Not deep

• What's the effect?

Moulds in the field!

The Mandela cork story

EFFECTIVE HAND SORTING: REDUCING AFLATOXINS

Financially supported by the European Union through a PEAPARD Project ‘Stemming Aflatoxin pre- and post-harvest waste in the groundnut value chain (GnVC)’

Greatest lesson

• A farmer is smart researcher: Conventional researcher should support the farmer initiative