Mycotoxins in Mozambique: Need for a national monitoring programme

Isidro Tamele; Meryem Hassouani; Ilário Timba; Tiago Guimarães; Rui Maia; Zizina Falé; Vitor Vasconcelos

doi:10.17159/sajs.2022/13034

Authors

Isidro Tamele 1.Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 2.Department of Chemistry, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique; 3.Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3435-1381
Meryem Hassouani Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Ilário Timba Marine Biology Station of Inhaca, Faculty of Sciences, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5534-9942
Tiago Guimarães 1.Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 2.Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7609-0311
Rui Maia Centre of Research and Innovation, Technical University of Mozambique, Maputo, Mozambique https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9466-8276
Zizina Falé Department of Chemistry, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4115-9195
Vitor Vasconcelos Department of Biology, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3585-2417

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2022/13034

Keywords:

mycotoxins, Mozambique, agricultural food and feed, mycotoxin monitoring, public health

Abstract

The occurrence of mycotoxins poses a threat to public health in Mozambique, with several cases of poisoning in humans caused by aflatoxins after consumption of groundnuts and maize reported before 1975. Over time, the control and monitoring of mycotoxins in agricultural and non-agricultural food and feed seem to have dropped significantly in Mozambique. So, the objective of this review is to recommend the implementation of monitoring and control of mycotoxins and fungal development. From our review, we note that data regarding mycotoxins in Mozambique are very limited and this makes it difficult to assess the spatial and temporal occurrence of mycotoxins in Mozambique. The scarcity of data does not mean that mycotoxins do not occur in Mozambique because the few studies that are available have confirmed the presence of mycotoxins in food and feed at concentrations above permissible limits in many countries of the world. This situation indicates a need for the creation of mycotoxin monitoring programmes involving the ministries of agriculture and public health (in coordination with universities) at the national level.

Significance:

This review provides relevant information that can help local authorities in Mozambique to implement a mycotoxin monitoring programme.