Impact of Toxigenic Fungi: An Economic and Health Obstruction to Wellness in Mozambique

Abstract

Food safety is a major concern worldwide. Food-crop contamination by fungi and mycotoxins is a common occurrence causing persistent exposure that raises critical health problems and economic losses. Food and feeds are frequently tainted by multiple contaminants, such as trace elements, heavy metals, dioxins, pesticides, and mycotoxins. Most African countries lack the ability to enforce international food safety regulations and face frequent rejection of exportable raw food materials leading to financial burden and increased intramural consumption of contaminated products. The literature on mycotoxins is extremely vast, investigating or reporting cellular mechanisms and toxicity, associated pathology and animal performance, effects of these compounds on general malnutrition and on human health. However, different sampling and analytical methods for research has hindered progress, data collection and interpretation. Innovative and promising commercial solutions of technological biocontrol have been approved in few African countries but may not be the sole and long-lasting solution for the management of mycotoxins. We describe an economic burden in Mozambique of naturally occurring toxigenic fungi moulds in banana plantations, and a public health impact from non-rotating crops of cassava, groundnutsб and maize. Finally, we mention our moderate role in surveillance and monitoring of mycotoxins in family smallholder farmers, informal markets, and cooperatives.

Outlook on Mozambique’s Agribusiness as a Driving Force for Family Farmers

“…Smallholder family farmers remain largely disconnected from markets due to low levels of organization and capacity, face difficulties in producing competitive, high quality and affordable products which meet adequate food safety standards, namely the absence of mycotoxins contamination, therefore inaccessible to integrate export-ready value chains [47].…”

Mycotoxins … Silent Death

“…Mycotoxins exist in agricultural commodities such as peanuts, grapes, wines, grains, nuts, dried fruit, coffee, cocoa, spices, oil seeds, fruits, fruit juices, beer, and other foodstuffs and feed crops, both in the field and during transportation [38][39][40]. At any stage of the food production process (before harvesting, harvesting, drying, and storage), fungal production of mycotoxins can occur and can expose consumers to the risk of contamination directly through food consumption or indirectly through feed [41]. In general, under prolonged storage conditions and at extreme temperatures along with extreme humidity, all crops including cereals can be subjected to mold growth and mycotoxin contamination [42].…”

Hepatoprotective effects of leaf extract of Annona senegalensis against aflatoxin B1 toxicity in rats

“…Contamination of agricultural commodities with spoilage fungi and their mycotoxins is a prominent worldwide public health and food safety concerns (Fernandes et al 2021 ). Food and feed are the most exposed agricultural commodities that are vulnerable to fungal contamination in different areas.…”