Assessment of aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination levels in maize and mycotoxins awareness and risk factors in Rwanda

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi that are toxic to humans and animals when consumed in contaminated food and feed. The Rwandan climate conditions like steady temperature and sufficient rainfall favor the growth of fungi leading to high probability of mycotoxins contamination. Mycotoxins get into maize throughout the value chain from the field to processed products. Maize is  promoted in Rwanda under the Crop Intensification Program (CIP), for nutrition and food security. The aim of the study was to evaluate mycotoxins (Aflatoxin and fumonisin) levels in maize and assess awareness and factors associated with mycotoxin contamination in Rwanda. Maize samples (227 kg) from season B 2019 were collected in 15 Districts in five provinces of Rwanda after an interview with a representative of the household or cooperative using a structured questionnaire. The samples were analyzed for aflatoxin and  fumonisin using Reveal Q+ and AccuScan Gold Reader. From the interview, most of the respondents were not aware about aflatoxin (59.7 %) and 99 % did not know the effect of mycotoxins on human health. The average of aflatoxin contamination in surveyed districts was 6.69±13 μg/kg. In general, 90.4 % of samples scored below the limit of aflatoxin level regulated in East Africa/Kenya regulation standards (10 μg/kg). The levels of aflatoxin ranged between 0 and 100.9 μg/kg. The means aflatoxin levels within districts ranged between 1.36±0.5 μg/kg and 13.75±25 μg/kg. Among 9.6 % of the samples containing aflatoxins above the EU and Kenyan regulations standard limit, 5.7 % were above the US standards of 20 μg/kg. Within clusters, the level of aflatoxin more than 10 μg/kg was 5 %, 7 % and 18 % for stores, household and market samples, respectively. From the study, as mechanical damage of grains, moisture content of grains and the temperature of the store house increased, Aflatoxin level also increased. Fumonisin analyzed in maize ranged from 0 to 2.3 μg/g and only one sample from market showed a slightly higher level of fumonisin than the EU and US limit of 2 μg/g. More effort for aflatoxin mitigation is needed at the market level. Farmers need to be aware and taught how they can improve their agricultural system and more knowledge on mycotoxin control is needed. The results point to appropriate measures to recommend for control ofmycotoxins in Rwanda and awareness creation. Key words: AccuScan, Aflatoxin, Fumonisin, Fungal, Maize, Mycotoxins, Reveal Q+, Rwand

Sweet Potato Ketchup: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Production costs in Kenya.

Ketchup sauce is increasingly a popular condiment used as a flavouring ingredient in fast-food businesses in East African urban areas. It is one of a myriad of products that can be made using sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) roots. We assessed the feasibility, consumer acceptability, and cost of production for a ketchup sauce made by substituting tomatoes with sweet potatoes. The final product, in which up to 80% tomatoes were substituted with sweet potato, was found to be organoleptically acceptable in Nairobi, Kenya. The yellow flesh colour of the sweet potato had a good influence on the final consumer preference of the product. Adding sweet potato to the ketchup formulation had little influence on the final pH, which ranged from 3.8 to 4.1. Titratable acidity values ranged from 0.36 to 0.60 g (acetic acid) per 100 g sauce. Shelf life test indicated that ketchup sauce incorporating sweet potato could safely be stored for 2 to 3 months. The addition of sweet potato in the ketchup formulation significantly reduced the production cost of the sauce. The Journal of Food Technology in Africa Volume 5 Number 1 (January- March 2000), pp. 14-1

Sweet Potato Ketchup: Feasibility, Acceptability, And Production Costs In Kenya

Ketchup sauce is increasingly a popular condiment used as a flavouring ingredient in fast-food businesses in East African urban areas. It is one of a myriad of products that can be made using sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) roots. We assessed the feasibility, consumer acceptability, and cost of production for a ketchup sauce made by substituting tomatoes with sweet potatoes. The final product, in which up to 80% tomatoes were substituted with sweet potato, was found to be organoleptically acceptable in Nairobi. The yellow flesh colour of the sweet potato had a good influence on the final consumer preference of the product. Adding sweet potato to the ketchup formulation had little influence on the final pH, which ranged from 3.8 to 4.1. Titratable acidity values ranged from 0.36 to 0.60 g (acetic acid) per 100 g sauce. Shelf life test indicated that a ketchup sauce incorporating sweet potato could safely be stored for 2 to 3 months. The addition of sweet potato in the ketchup formulation significantly reduced the production cost of the sauce.En Afrique de l' Est, la sauce "ketchup" devient de plus en plus un condiment populaire pour aromatiser les frites dans les commerces urbains d'aliment pr\ueat-\ue0-emporter; en plus, elle est parmi plusieurs produits dont on peut fabriquer \ue0 partir de la patate douce. Dans cet article, nous avons \ue9valu\ue9 la faisabilit\ue9, l'acceptabilit\ue9 par les consommateurs et le co\ufbt de production de cette sauce, fabriqu\ue9e en substituant de la mati\ue8re premi\ue8re habituelle, de la tomate, par de la patate douce. La sauce dont le remplacement de la tomate par de la patate douce est all\ue9 jusqu'\ue0 80%, a \ue9t\ue9 trouv\ue9 acceptable sur le plan sensoriel. L'utilisation de la patate douce \ue0 chaire jaune a eu un effet b\ue9n\ue9fique sur la pr\ue9f\ue9rence du produit par les consommateurs. L'addition de la patate douce dans la formulation de cette sauce a eu peu d'influence sur le pH final du produit, et ce dernier a oscill\ue9 entre 3,8 et 4,1. L'acidit\ue9 titrable a vari\ue9 entre 0,36 et 0,60 d'acide ac\ue9tique par 100 g de sauce. Le test de dur\ue9e de vie du produit a montr\ue9 que le produit fini pouvait \ueatre entrepos\ue9 pendant 2 \ue0 3 mois sans d\ue9t\ue9rioration ou danger pour les consommateurs. L'addition de la patate douce a r\ue9duit sensiblement le co\ufbt de production de la sauce

Sweet potato ketchup: Feasibility, acceptability, and production costs in Kenya

(African Crop Science Journal 1999 7(1): 81-90