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1/ UNDERSTANDING AFLATOXIN
I believe it is important to have a clear and correct understanding of what aflatoxins are, how they are produced, and how they harm people and animals when ingested.
1/ UNDERSTANDING AFLATOXIN
I believe it is important to have a clear and correct understanding of what aflatoxins are, how they are produced, and how they harm people and animals when ingested.
2/ Aflatoxins are toxic byproducts of two very specific varieties of mould (in the aspergillus family). These moulds tend to grow in moist conditions in soil and on stored grain, grain products, and a few other foodstuffs. The moulds give off the byproduct we call aflatoxin,
3/ which is not a living thing that can be "killed off" - if it were, you could boil or heat things and have it go away (as with many types of harmful bacteria). The toxins once produced by the moulds (whether those moulds
4/ continue to live or die off through drying or other processing) remain in the product from that point onwards. There are products (one is called Mycosorb) BIND TO the toxins so that they pass harmlessly through the gut.
5/ (Myco because aflatoxins are a subcategory of a larger category of toxins called mycotoxins, as in toxins produced by fungi, of which moulds are a type). When any food item is consumed that has significant levels of aflatoxins present, these toxins cause harm first and
6/ foremost to the liver, the organ whose job it is to remove most toxins and process them but which cannot cope with this type of toxin in any significant amount. It can then spread to other organs and systems and ultimately causes death, or, in cases of longer-term
7/ low-level exposure, usually cancer, because this class of toxins is what is known as a mutagen (it causes mutations in cells).
It is not my intention to be pedantic, but misunderstanding the science of toxicity is dangerous and people do need to actually understand this
It is not my intention to be pedantic, but misunderstanding the science of toxicity is dangerous and people do need to actually understand this
8/ process. The way to PREVENT aflatoxin is to ensure that primary food harvests (mostly grains, of which maize, millet, and wheat are the most susceptible, but not the only ones) are fully dried and not placed in contact with soil. They need to be stored only after they
9/ are HARD DRIED and kept very dry for the duration of storage and through the milling process. All the products made from these grains (flour, meals, germ, bran) must also be kept dry throughout, right up to your cupboard and to the point that you use them. Once the
10/ varieties of mould that cause aflatoxin to colonize the product, at any stage of the harvest to the production chain, they start creating the aflatoxins. Most of this is invisible and odorless, even the mould stage rarely becomes visible to the eye. It is easy to
11/ see from this how many gaps there are in the local grain growing, harvesting, storing, milling, production, and packaging system - this is a known fact beyond dispute, many international and national scientific agencies have raised the alarm about it and have
12/ attempted to fix these gaps, which threaten public health (of humans as well as animals). See the articles linked below.
It is well worth understanding the process I've explained here. This same kind of process also happens with some kinds of bacteria, on your cooked food
It is well worth understanding the process I've explained here. This same kind of process also happens with some kinds of bacteria, on your cooked food
13/ especially starchy foods like white rice or pasta. These foods if left for over 2 days (even in your fridge) can be colonized by bacteria that create toxic byproducts (not aflatoxin, which is a mould byproduct, but other kinds of bacterially created toxins), and even
14/ if you heat the leftovers to a very high heat that kills the bacteria, the toxins remain. Food poisoning (and in rare cases, death) can occur.
It is also well worth understanding the differences between moulds and their byproducts, and bacteria and their byproducts -
It is also well worth understanding the differences between moulds and their byproducts, and bacteria and their byproducts -
15/ as well as to realize that most are not deadly but that you have to know where the deadly ones arise from and how to prevent them!
Article links: https://www.devex.com/news/kenyans-love-maize-but-aflatoxins-are-making-it-dangerous-96279?fbclid=IwAR2PXr0oo1aPKlCzyop3N9Wqsjef0YonMXbFhco1QEtsIDvv_BnDit9JjIw#:~:text=Kenya%20is%20one%20of%20the,country's%20growing%20burden%20of%20cancer
Article links: https://www.devex.com/news/kenyans-love-maize-but-aflatoxins-are-making-it-dangerous-96279?fbclid=IwAR2PXr0oo1aPKlCzyop3N9Wqsjef0YonMXbFhco1QEtsIDvv_BnDit9JjIw#:~:text=Kenya%20is%20one%20of%20the,country's%20growing%20burden%20of%20cancer
