Occurrence of aflatoxins in food commodities produced and consumed in Angola and Mozambique

Aflatoxins, the mycotoxins produced by molds from the genus Aspergillus sect. Flavi that infest food and feed commodities, are a pressing issue in most African countries and their presence has led to a surge in health problems and food insecurity. The lack of eﬀective monitoring and control in the Portuguese-Speaking African Countries (PALOP) has resulted in the underestimation of these mycotoxins. !e present work aimed to determine the occurrence of total aflatoxins (AFs) in several agricultural products – corn, beans, cassava flour, peanuts and rice – produced and consumed in the provinces of Cuanza Sul, Angola, and of Chongoene and Gaza, Mozambique. During 2023 and 2024, 236 samples (96 from Angola and 140 from Mozambique) were collected from local markets and analyzed for AFs using the lateral flow strip AgraStrip® Pro WATEX® (Romer) method. For Mozambique, 44% of all samples were positive for AFs (median=4.9 µg/kg). The highest incidence and contamination levels were found in corn, with all samples contaminated, ranging from the LOD to as high as 9200 µg/kg (median=26.9 µg/kg). Of these, 63% were contaminated above the Maximum Tolerable Limit (MTL) established by the Codex Alimentarius (15 µg/kg).

Occurrence of aflatoxins in food commodities produced and consumed in Angola and Mozambique Artigo de Conferência