Abstract

Objective

Some species of fungi produce toxins that can contaminate many food products. For example, toxigenic strains of the Ascomycetes Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus are responsible for the secretion of aflatoxin in maize. In this work, we proposed to study the aflatoxin contamination of maize produced in two regions of Togo (region Maritime and region des Plateaux) and intended for human consumption.

Materials and Methods

For this purpose, 50 maize samples (25 from each of the two regions) were randomly collected in Togo and subjected to AflaTest analysis, using a VICAM.

Results

Our results showed that all 50 maize samples tested were contaminated with aflatoxin. However, maize from region des Plateaux showed a higher-level of contamination with aflatoxin levels ranging from 0.17 to 1600 ppb, compared to 1.4 to 450 ppb for region Maritime.

Conclusion

Such levels often far exceed established reference standards, raising the crucial issue of the consumption habits of exposed populations in relation to food safety.

Keywords

Maize; Aflatoxin; Aspergillus; Togo.