| 1. |
- Ahlberg, Sara, et al.
(författare)
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Aflatoxin Binders in Foods for Human Consumption-Can This be Promoted Safely and Ethically?
- 2019
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Ingår i: Toxins. - : MDPI. - 2072-6651. ; 11:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aflatoxins continue to be a food safety problem globally, especially in developing regions. A significant amount of effort and resources have been invested in an attempt to control aflatoxins. However, these efforts have not substantially decreased the prevalence nor the dietary exposure to aflatoxins in developing countries. One approach to aflatoxin control is the use of binding agents in foods, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been studied extensively for this purpose. However, when assessing the results comprehensively and reviewing the practicality and ethics of use, risks are evident, and concerns arise. In conclusion, our review suggests that there are too many issues with using LAB for aflatoxin binding for it to be safely promoted. Arguably, using binders in human food might even worsen food safety in the longer term.
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| 2. |
- Deka, Ram Pratim, et al.
(författare)
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Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Brucella Infection in Dairy Animals in Urban and Rural Areas of Bihar and Assam, India
- 2021
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Ingår i: Microorganisms. - : MDPI. - 2076-2607. ; 9:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study assessed seropositivity of Brucella infection in dairy animals and risk factors associated with it. The cross-sectional study used multi-stage, random sampling in the states of Bihar and Assam in India. In total, 740 dairy animals belonging to 534 households of 52 villages were covered under this study. Serological testing was conducted by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA). Animal-level Brucella seropositivity was found to be 15.9% in Assam and 0.3% in Bihar. Seropositivity in urban areas (18.7%) of Assam was found to be higher than in rural areas (12.4%). Bihar was excluded from the risk factor analysis, as only one Brucella seropositive sample was detected in the state. A total of 30 variables were studied for assessing risk factors, of which 15 were selected for multivariable regression analyses following a systematic process. Finally, only three risk factors were identified as statistically significant. It was found that animals belonging to districts having smaller-sized herds were less likely (p < 0.001) to be Brucella seropositive than animals belonging to districts having larger-sized herds. Furthermore, the chance of being Brucella seropositive increased (p = 0.007) with the increase in age of dairy animals, but decreased (p = 0.072) with the adoption of artificial insemination (AI) for breeding. We speculated that the identified risk factors in Assam likely explained the reason behind lower Brucella seropositivity in Bihar, and therefore any future brucellosis control program should focus on addressing these risk factors.
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| 3. |
- Mutua, Florence, et al.
(författare)
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Possibilities of establishing a smallholder pig identification and traceability system in Kenya
- 2020
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Ingår i: Tropical Animal Health and Production. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0049-4747 .- 1573-7438. ; 52, s. 859-870
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Consumers have a right to safer foods, and traceability is one approach to meeting their expectations. Kenya does not have an operational animal traceability system, and while a few initiatives have been piloted, these have only focused on the beef value chain. In this paper, we begin a discussion on traceability in the pig value chain, with an initial focus on smallholder systems of Western Kenya. First, a background to local pig production is given, and a description of animal identification and traceability options applicable to these systems is explained. Based on this, a "butcher-to-farm" traceability system, with health, production and food safety as objectives, is discussed. Requirements for establishing such a system (including actor incentives) are additionally discussed. The proposed approach can be piloted in the field and findings used to inform the design of a larger pilot and possibly pave way for implementation of a national traceability system, in line with the guidelines provided by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Organized systems in the area (including commercial producer and trader groups) would offer a useful starting point.
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| 4. |
- Nguyen, Xuan Thi Thanh, et al.
(författare)
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Assessment of aflatoxin B \textlesssub\textgreater1\textless/sub\textgreater in maize and awareness of aflatoxins in Son La, Vietnam
- 2018
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Ingår i: Infection Ecology & Epidemiology. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2000-8686. ; 8:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ABSTRACTAflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a fungal by-product which causes acute and chronic toxicity in humans and many other animals. This research was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of AFB1 contamination in maize and residents’ awareness of aflatoxins in Son La province, Vietnam. Maize samples were randomly collected from Son La province using multi-stage sampling. We used cut-off levels of 5 and 20 μg/kg and calculated the mean, median and range for each district. In addition, a questionnaire collected information from households about their knowledge, attitude and practice related to moldy maize. Out of 378 maize samples from Son La, 204 (54.0%) and 141 (37.3%) were contaminated with AFB1 at more than 5 µg/kg and 20 µg/kg, respectively. Mai Son district had the highest proportion of samples (54.0%) using a cut-off level \textgreater 20 µg/kg, and Yen Chau district the lowest (4%). People from the Thai ethnic group were 30.9 times more likely to consume meat from animals fed moldy maize than people from the Kinh ethn...
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| 5. |
- Sharma, Garima, et al.
(författare)
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Antibiotic use, knowledge, and practices of milk vendors in India's informal dairy value chain
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2571-581X. ; 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Milk vendors play an important role in India's dairy value chain; however, their food safety practices are poorly understood. From the standpoint of milk safety, vendor behavior is significant because it has the potential to affect both consumer and producer behavior. This study investigates vendors' hygienic knowledge and practices toward milk safety, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR)Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the states of Assam and Haryana (India). In selected villages, all the milk vendors identified at the time of the visit were interviewed. A questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge and practices on antibiotics, milk safety, and hygiene. The milk samples were tested for the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria using antibiotic susceptibility testing.Results: A total of 2444 milk vendors were interviewed during the survey. Out of these 156 (59.8%) of the vendors traded in raw milk while 40.2% traded in pasteurizes milk. Vendors were categorized depending on whom they supplied milk. Five categories were identified: (a) those who sold at grocery shops; (b) those who sold on the roadside; (c) those who sold from door to door; (d) those who sold to sweet makers/tea stalls; (e) those who sold from own home/other entity. The level of training among vendors on milk hygiene was non-existent and the knowledge related to antibiotics was low. Most of them (86.07%) agreed that boiled milk is always safer than raw milk but almost half (48.77%) of them admitted that sometimes they drink milk without boiling it. Most vendors believed that they could identify whether milk is safe or not for consumption just by its appearance and smell. Out of 124 milk samples collected from surveyed milk vendors and tested for the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, 80 (64.52%) tested positive.Conclusion: This study highlights the low levels of knowledge regarding food safety among milk vendors. It shows the predominance of informal milk businesses in the surveyed states and the prevalence of AMR bacteria in milk traded by them. Training may be a beneficial strategy for addressing the issue.
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| 6. |
- Sirma, Anima J., et al.
(författare)
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Aflatoxin Exposure from Milk in Rural Kenya and the Contribution to the Risk of Liver Cancer
- 2019
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Ingår i: Toxins. - : MDPI. - 2072-6651. ; 11:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Milk is an important commodity in Kenya; the country has the largest dairy herd and highest per capita milk consumption in East Africa. As such, hazards in milk are of concern. Aflatoxin M-1 (AFM(1)) is a toxic metabolite of aflatoxin B-1 (AFB(1)) excreted in milk by lactating animals after ingesting AFB(1)-contaminated feeds. This metabolite is injurious to human health, but there is little information on the risk to human health posed by AFM(1) in milk in rural Kenya. To fill this gap, a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) applying probabilistic statistical tools to quantify risks was conducted. This assessed the risk of liver cancer posed by AFM(1) in milk, assuming 10-fold lower carcinogenicity than AFB(1). Data from four agro-ecological zones in Kenya (semi-arid, temperate, sub-humid and humid) were used. We estimated that people were exposed to between 0.3 and 1 ng AFM(1) per kg body weight per day through the consumption of milk. The annual incidence rates of cancer attributed to the consumption of AFM(1) in milk were 3.5 x 10(-3) (95% CI: 3 x 10(-3)-3.9 x 10(-3)), 2.9 x 10(-3) (95% CI: 2.5 x 10(-3)-3.3 x 10(-3)), 1.4 x 10(-3) (95% CI: 1.2 x 10(-3)-1.5 x 10(-3)) and 2.7 x 10(-3) (95% CI: 2.3 x 10(-3)-3 x 10(-3)) cancers per 100,000 in adult females, adult males, children 6-18 years old, and in children less than five years old, respectively. Our results show that aflatoxin exposure from milk contributes relatively little to the incidence of liver cancer. Nonetheless, risk managers should take action based on cumulative exposure from all sources of aflatoxins.
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