Can anyone pass along information to help Prof. Golden regarding
fungus and aflatoxin in spoiled grain? I would add to his list of
questions, is aflatoxin the only fungal toxin of potential concern
in this food source?
PLEASE POST RESPONSES TO HIM (e-mail address in msg), NOT ME. A copy
of your message to SANET (if you're a subscriber) would educate us
all, as well.
Prof. Golden, I am cross-posting your query from the ProMED list to
the USDA's sustainable agriculture list server, SANET, and several
UW-Madison contacts.
peace
misha
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AFLATOXIN - SOMALIA: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 20:11:35 +0200
From: Michael H. N. Golden <ngonut@abdn.ac.uk>
November 1997- January 1998 we had major floods in Somalia,
underground grain stores were all under water for weeks. Now the crop
is failing and people have started eating what remains out of the
partially/fully spoiled sorghum, visible fungus growth according to
field information.
Simultaneously reports about the increasing number of kwashiorkor
[protein-calorie malnutrition] cases are coming from the field. Is it
possible that we are dealing with aflatoxin induced kwashiorkor?
What could be done, except telling people not to eat spoilt grain?
Not a very practical solution, when you do not have much choice. We
can only provide for a small number of clearly malnourished children.
Does anyone have any practical answers to how to best to deal with
spoiled grain (sorghum mainly)?
Does any form of practical field treatment substantially reduce the
levels of aflatoxin and other mycotoxins?
Could members who know of food toxicologists/mycologists who might be
able to offer an opinion please pass this message on so that we can
get some authoritative response. Clearly this is urgent and the
correct advice needs to be transmitted to the field in order to
prevent many cases of mycotoxicosis on the one hand or starvation on
the other.
This dilemma of whether or not to eat visibly fungus infested food is
so common in much of the world that we would all like to know what to
do when there is no alternative but to eat the food!
- --
Prof. Michael H. N. Golden
Dept of Medicine and Therapeutics
Univ of Aberdeen, Foresterhill
527 93
AB9 2ZD. Scotland, (UK)
e-mail: ngonut@abdn.ac.uk
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Michele Gale-Sinex, communications manager
Center for Integrated Ag Systems
UW-Madison College of Ag and Life Sciences
Voice: (608) 262-8018 FAX: (608) 265-3020
http://www.wisc.edu/cias/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
If you knew what life was worth, you
would look for yours on earth. --Bob Marley
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