Safe Food
Strategies for reducing aflatoxin levels in groundnut based food and feeds
in India: a step towards improving health of humans and livestock
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Background
Aflatoxins are potent carcinogenic agents produced by Aspergillus
flavus fungus
which infect groundnut seeds. This project aims to reduce the risk of
aflatoxin contamination to humans and livestock. Invasion of
groundnut by Aspergillus flavus, leading to natural contamination by
aflatoxins, can occur during crop growth (pre-harvest), at the time of
lifting of plants and drying of pods (post-harvest) handling and during
post-harvest storage of pods. Management strategies to reduce
contamination at key stages will be identified, and tested on farms in
Anantapur, India. |
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Collaborators
ICRISAT, Patancheru, India
ANGRAU, Anantapur, India
University of Belfast |
Activities at PEL
Measurement of the pod environment during crop growth, harvesting and
post-harvest storage. Controlled environment studies to determine
the effect of seed moisture content and temperature on infection and
contamination of groundnut seeds during storage. |
Intended outcomes from PEL
Factors contributing to aflatoxin contamination of food and feed chains
from pre- and post-harvest practices determined.
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THIRUMALA-DEVI, K., MAYO, M.A., HALL, A.J.,
CRAUFURD, P.Q., WHEELER, T.R., WALIYAR, F., SUBRAHMANYAM, A. and REDDY,
D.V.R. (2002). Development and application of an indirect-competitive
enzyme-linked immunoassay for aflatoxin in M1 in milk and milk-based
confectionery. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 50:
933-937.
WALIYAR, F., SUBRAMANIAM, K., YELLAMANDA REDDY, T.,
REDDY, S.V., RAMA DEVI, K., CRAUFURD, P.Q. AND WHEELER, T.R. (2003).
Importance of mycotoxins in food and feed in India. Aspects
of Applied 68:
147-154.
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