Abstract

  Groundnut is ranked as the most important legume crop in Ghana due to its versatile role as sources of cash, dietary protein, industrial oil, complementary animal feed, and in soil fertility restoration. However, food safety risk in relation to aflatoxins remains a daunting challenge among smallholder farmers due to poor production practices and weak food safety regulation and compliance. One critical concern requiring attention is that close to 60% of Ghanaian food dishes are prepared from maize and groundnut, both are highly susceptible to aflatoxins. In general, the tropical climate across Ghana is ideal for the growth the fungi in susceptible commodities, both in the field and at storage. This review highlights the risk of aflatoxins in groundnut, and identifies integrated management approaches that can be employed to reduce pre-and post-harvest contaminations. This study recommends regular tracking of aflatoxins in food products to facilitate early warning and necessary interventions of regulatory institutions.

Keywords: Aflatoxins; Consumption; Production Practices; Food Safety; Integrated Management

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Citation

Citation: Issah Sugri., et al. “Prevalence, Perception and Participatory Management of Aflatoxins in Groundnut with Emphasis on Northern Ghana". Acta Scientific Nutritional Health 4.2 (2020): 34-43.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2020 Issah Sugri., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.