Mycobiota associated with baby food products imported into Uganda with special reference to aflatoxigenic aspergilli and aflatoxins.

Abstract

Five baby food products imported into Uganda were collected from different shops and investigated for contamination by fungi and aflatoxins. Forty-two species belonging to 21 genera in addition to some unidentified fungi were recovered on dichloran rose bengal chloramphenicol agar. Cornflakes followed by Cerelac were the most heavily contaminated products while Heinz mixed cereal was the least. Cladosporium sphaerospermum, Fusarium tricinctum and Penicillium oxalicum were the most predominant fungi. On the other hand, using Aspergillus flavus/parasiticus agar, 34 % of the samples were positive for aflatoxigenic aspergilli. Aflatoxigenic aspergilli constituted 78.8 % of all aspergilli and 4.9 % of all contaminating fungi. Samples from all products were contaminated with aflatoxigenic aspergilli, but samples of Cerelac were the most, while those of Porridge oats were the least. Aflatoxin analysis of food samples revealed that 9 out of 13 analysed samples were contaminated with aflatoxins in the range of 1-10 ppb (6 samples) and 11-20 ppb (3 samples). Only samples of Cerelac were aflatoxin-free, although aflatoxigenic aspergilli were detected in some samples. It was noted that samples of Cerelac had the least moisture content compared to the other products. Contaminated foods constitute a health hazard to human consumption. These foods, especially those for babies, must therefore be examined at regular intervals in order to assess their hygienic quality.

Biocontrol of toxigenic Aspergillus strains isolated from baby foods by essential oils

“…The tested cerelac sample was aflatoxin‐free, although this sample had aflatoxigenic aspergilli isolate. The same result was recorded by Ismail et al who showed that the absence of aflatoxins in cerelac may be due to its low moisture content. Abdalla et al reported that inhibition and reduction in fungal activity depended on sample's moisture content.…”

“…Thirty‐two species comprising twelve genera were isolated from the tested samples on GPY medium; cornflakes were heavily contaminated with fungi (24 species including 9 genera), cerelac came in the second position where it contaminated with 18 species and 10 genera, and milk powder was the latest with 11 species and 7 genera as shown in Table . This finding was previously proved by Ismail et al who reported that cornflakes and cerelac were the highest contaminated baby food products.…”

“…It was found that the coloured tested sample of cornflakes recorded the highest reading for both aflatoxins (1.5 PPb) and ochratoxins (12.8 PPb), and these findings were previously proved by Ezekiel and Sombie who found that cornflakes and golden morn had significantly higher aflatoxin concentrations (mean = 1.7 PPb) also in agreement with ref . who indicated that the aflatoxin level in a cornflakes sample in Egypt was 6.1 µg/kg and ref . that found the two tested samples of cerelac were aflatoxin‐free and the two samples of cornflakes were contaminated with aflatoxins (11‐20 PPb and 1‐10 PPb).…”

“…These results previously obtained by Skrinjar et al reported that the most frequent fungi contaminating cornflakes were A. flavus , Eurotium herbarioum and Penicllium aurantiogriseum . Ismail et al found that A. flavus was highly isolated from cerelac and from baby foods on P‐PCNB medium. Aspergillus niger , A. flavus , A. fumigatus , A. terreus , A. glaucus , Rhizopus stolonifer , Penicillium sp., Fusarium semithectum , F. proliferatum and F. sacchari were isolated from baby foods…”

“…Infants eat these weaning foods until 24 months . Carbohydrates and proteins are the main components of baby foods, as they are manufactured from cereals (wheat, sorghum, rice, maize, millet and oats), milk, leguminous foods/grains, fruits and nuts so they are appropriate medium for microbial contamination …”