Effect on Aflatoxin Levels in the Processing of Maize into Kenkey
Abstract
The study was conducted to determine the decrease or increase in Aflatoxin levels with the various steps in processing of contaminated maize into kenkey which is a popular food consumed by almost all Ghanaians. Maize and maize products are known to be susceptible to contamination by fungi that produce secondary metabolites such as aflatoxins. Aflatoxins have been defined as extremely toxic and carcinogenic compounds which appear to be pervasive in the environment. The incidence and level of aflatoxin contamination in various food commodities have been studied all around the world and continues to be of great concern. A mass of 10 kg of maize was first inoculated and found to be highly contaminated with aflatoxin after which the contaminated maize was sifted to remove all debris and other physical contaminants and the following processing techniques followed: washing, soaking in water (steeping), milling; fermentation and cooking. Aflatoxin levels were determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
All the steps involved in the preparation of kenkey showed quite significant reduction in aflatoxin G2, B2 and B1 levels (p<0.001) in the maize. There were no signs of aflatoxin G1 in the maize but rather in the water residue used. There was a significant rise in the aflatoxin G1, G2, B1 and B2 levels in the water residues used in the preparation of kenkey. This is matched with the reduced level of the aflatoxin in the kenkey, meaning the process of kenkey preparation significantly reduced aflatoxin levels.
Based on the results obtained, it will be recommended that further work be done on other foods that use these aflatoxin susceptible grains and produce.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Science, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Food Quality Management, 2018