Incidence of biogenic amines in foods implications for the Gambia

Amines are found in food. Biogenic amines are a class of amines, which result from decarboxylation. They are food quality indicators. Health-wise biogenic amines play positive roles and have adverse effects as well; they are a public health concern. Certain conditions make it possible for them to be produced. These could be controlled for a better and improved food quality

Assessment of levels of exposure to biogenic amines - a Gambia case study

Biogenic amines (BAs) have been reported in a variety of foods namely, fish, milk, yogurt, beef and chicken. Their amounts are usually increased during controlled or spontaneous microbial fermentation of food or in the course of food spoilage. Biogenic amines are basic nitrogenous compounds with important metabolic and physiological significance in living organisms. They also pose some hazards to human health when consumed in quantities beyond their legal limits. Protein containing foods are the main precursors from which BAs are synthesized. A lot of amino acid containing foods are being consumed in The Gambia with no equipped laboratory to assess the levels of BAs. This work involved the study of the factors which enhance the formation of BAs through use of questionnaires, observation and testing (temperature). This research aimed at assessing the level of exposure to biogenic amine contamination by consumers in The Gambia. It was found that the level of biogenic amines may not be beyond their toxic levels in fish, milk and yogurt, but there is a probability of it being high in meat due to lack of proper means of preservation and quiet higher in imported chickens because of the duration of time it takes to get it to final consumers

Titrimetric analysis of commercial bleach: a Gambia case study

Ten brands of bleach were analyzed for their sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) levels using titrimetric method. The levels of NaOCl found in the bleach samples were generally higher than the levels indicated on the respective labels. Only one out of the ten samples had a NaOCl level of below 5% indicating that it is a safe and noncorrosive household bleach

Knowledge, attitudes and practices associated with pesticide use among horticultural farmers of Banjulinding and Lamin of the Gambia

This work takes a limited but significant look at knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) vis-à-vis pesticide use in two farming communities in The Gambia. Most of the users have no formal education and they never received any formal training related to pesticide use. However, for the most part, there was a very high level of awareness among users about the dangers posed by pesticides. In addition, most of the respondents do not respect pesticide labels. More than 50% of the respondents experienced symptoms of pesticide poisoning, and about one-fifth of these sought medical help. Lack of knowledge, unsafe attitudes and dangerous practices were identified as the leading cause of pesticide poisoning