Assessing Fumonisin B1 Level in Maize and Maize Products from Three Major Market Centres in Kumasi

Abstract

Maize is one of the staple cereal crops consumed in Ghana together with its products such as maize-flour and maize-dough. These are mostly contaminated with mycotoxins such as aflatoxins and fumonisins. Fumonisins B1 pose a major health risk for humans that consume large amounts of maize-based products and also domesticated animals. The aim of the study was to establish the incidence of fumonisin in maize and maize products. A total of 63 samples of maize, maize-dough and maize-flour of 1 kg each were randomly purchased from Asafo, Kumasi Central and Bantama markets in the Kumasi Metropolis. Percentage incidence of FB1 level in both the maize-dough and maize-flour were 100% and maize was 81.82%. In Asafo market maize-dough recorded 24.08 mg/kg which exceeds the recommended limit followed by maize-flour 9.89 mg/kg and maize 0.09 mg/kg. In Bantama, maize-flour also had high level of FB1 12.07 mg/kg followed by maize-dough and maize. Central market also recorded highest level of FB1 in maize-flour 9.67 mg/kg, maize 0.06 mg/kg and dough 2.58 mg/kg. From the results obtained maize-flour had FB1 which exceeded the recommended from all the three markets. There were significant differences (p<0.05) between the FB1 levels in maize (0.62) and the other maize products. The levels of FB1 in the maize flour and dough confirm that consumers are at high risk of exposure to diseases associated with the fumonisins.