Chemical Contaminants Associated with Palm Wine from Nigeria Are Potential Food Safety Hazards

Abstract

Recent analysis of palm wine, a traditional drink fermented mainly by yeasts, revealed the presence of several chemicals that were not products of yeast fermentation. The chemicals included styrene, benzene, trimethyldioxolane, dichloromethane, methylene fluoride, dichloroethanol, benzylisoquinoline and tetraacetyl-D-xylonic nitrile. A review of the concentrations of these compounds in palm wine found that the benzene concentrations in all samples reviewed ranged from 56-343 ppm and were within permissible limits, whereas the styrene values (1505-5614 ppm) in all the palm wine samples evaluated were well over the recommended concentration that is immediately dangerous to life or health. Other chemical compounds evaluated varied according to location or sample source. The concentrations obtained are estimates only and a quantitative study needs to be carried out before the impact of these chemicals on health is evaluated. A search on The PubChem Project, the open chemical database, showed the description, properties and uses of these chemicals. Further searches carried out within other databases like PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar, using each chemical's name as a search term, showed possible hazards and adverse health conditions caused by these chemicals, especially styrene, benzene and dichloromethane. The point at which the chemicals are introduced into the drink is still not clear and requires further investigation. The chemicals can be hazardous to humans and there is need to establish and maintain a system that can guarantee permissible levels in the drink. This can be carried out using concentrations of the chemicals that are already known to be immediately dangerous to life or health as a reference point.

Improving Food Safety Culture in Nigeria: A Review of Practical Issues

“…A starting point may be for the government to show more regulatory oversight. There is a consensus that regulatory oversight and better relationships with food producers could improve the current food safety deficiencies in Nigeria [86]. The government should constantly review food safety elements such as leadership, communication, risk perception, self-commitment, and management support.…”

Traditional and Artisanal Beverages in Nigeria: Microbial Diversity and Safety Issues

“…Beverages 2020, 6, x; doi: FOR PEER REVIEW www.mdpi.com/journal/beverages Palm wine (Figure 3A) is a milky white alcoholic drink obtained from different species of palm trees around the world. Unregulated sales are rampant in Nigeria and despite some food safety hazards associated with the drink [24], it is believed to have oenological potentials [106] and maybe be suitable as a probiotic [107] or functional beverage [108]. The drink is obtained by making incisions on the tree to collect the sap, which predisposes the drink to environmental contamination.…”

“…The origin of bacterial or fungal contaminations during the processing of many local food and beverages in Nigeria is unclear and the prevalence of microorganisms needs further characterization. Besides, microbial fermentation products of local drinks in Nigeria are poorly studied while it has been shown that the microorganisms responsible for the fermentation of traditional drinks may produce other compounds or derivatives, which are harmful to health [24]. Therefore, this work aims to review different microbial genera already associated with some unregulated beverages in Nigeria and the impact it may have on public health.…”

Metabolomics Approaches for the Comprehensive Evaluation of Fermented Foods: A Review

“…Some commonly consumed fermented foods include miso, soy paste, natto, and vinegar from East and Southeast Asia and yogurt, cheese, and kefir from Europe and America [6][7][8]. Other traditionally fermented foods include pickled fruit and vegetables and fermented beverages (e.g., beer, wine, and tea) from cereals and plants [9,10].…”