Knowledge and Behavioral Habits to Reduce Mycotoxin Dietary Exposure at Household Level in a Cohort of German University Students

Mycotoxins pose a health concern for humans. Therefore, strategies at pre- and post-harvest and maximum levels for food have been implemented, aimed to minimize the risk of dietary exposure. Yet, consumers’ dietary habits and life style play a substantial role in overall exposure. The aim of this study was to investigate knowledge of mycotoxins and accordance to behavioral practices or habits that may affect the risk of mycotoxin dietary exposure at the household level or when food commodities are obtained from non-regulated trade markets. For this purpose, an online survey was applied to a university student cohort (n = 186). The survey consisted of 23 questions grouped in five categories: Socio-demographic and income data, general life style and habits, knowledge about mycotoxins, compliance with the “17 golden rules to prevent mycotoxin contamination” of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), and measures towards reducing health risks. We paid particular attention to knowledge and compliance of a group acquiring food items in markets outside regulation and surveillance, namely, adherents of food movements such as food sharing or dumpster diving. The results of our study indicate a generally rather low level of knowledge about mycotoxins in the investigated cohort, as well as a weak perception of their associated risks compared to similar studies; around half of the cohort was unfamiliar with the term “mycotoxin” and the health risks of mycotoxins were considered comparable to those of pesticides, heavy metals, microplastics and food additives. We observed, in general, a relatively high degree of compliance with the proposed golden rules. The rules with the highest compliance related to deteriorated foods with visible signs of fungal infestation, probably because these are already considered as food waste. Rules that were less followed included those that require a specific knowledge of food storage and early fungal contamination stages, namely preventive measures related to storage of bread. Adherents of food movements did not differ significantly with the control group in terms of knowledge, risk perception and compliance with the 17 golden rules. This may be due to the homogeneity of the cohort in terms of demography, age and educational level. However, significant low compliance in the food movements group was observed with the rules “Buy fruit and vegetables that are as intact as possible, i.e., without injuries and bruises” and “Rotten fruit should neither be eaten nor further processed into compote or jam”, possibly because of ideological convictions around reducing food waste. In conclusion, mycotoxin prevention strategies should not end at the retail level; in particular, clarification and information regarding health risk from mycotoxins are suggested in order to reduce the risk of exposure in private households or in informal trade markets. The results of this study should, however, be interpreted with caution due to the specific characteristics of the cohort in terms of age and educational level and the disparity in size between the control and the food movement group. This study is a starting point for evaluating and understanding the consumer perspective on mycotoxins.

Mycotoxins, the unknowns: trends in food availability and consumer perceptions

Food consumption habits have been changing rapidly over the last decades, and the impact of these changes on the levels of dietary exposure to mycotoxins could be relevant. In this paper, trends in availability of specific foods that are most affected by mycotoxins were analysed, and comparisons were made among different world regions. The food commodities that have been registering very high availability levels and annual increases over the last 20 years are groundnuts and nuts in Africa and Asia, and maize in Africa, which represent an important part of the diets in those regions. Other foods, which are regularly consumed only by subgroups of populations, show increasing trends in many high- or medium-income regions. Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Australia & New Zealand, Western Africa and Eastern Asia are the regions experiencing the most dynamic changes in availability for selected foods. As individual food consumption is determined, among others, by personal risk perceptions, a literature review on the level and drivers of awareness and perception of mycotoxin risks was conducted. The scarce evidence found show a very low level of awareness and a generally moderate perception of risks derived from mycotoxin exposure, lower than risk perceptions associated with other foodborne hazards. Among the determinants of perceived risks, the education level emerges as being inversely related to the risk perception. More research is needed on these aspects, in order to better inform risk management and communication strategies related to mycotoxins.

Assessment of mothers’ knowledge and practice towards aflatoxin contamination in complementary foods in Ethiopia: from pre-harvest to household

This study assessed the knowledge and practices of the mothers in Ethiopia on issues related to aflatoxin in complementary foods (CFs) using structured questionnaires. The study involved 195 mothers from Amhara, Tigray, Oromia, and Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) regions and addressed a range of issues used to prevent the risks of mould and aflatoxin contamination from farm-to-table. Of the 195 mothers who responded; 186 (95%) were ploughing their land before growing the next crop, 177 (91%) used the crop rotation schedule, 157 (81%) reported the practice of removing old seed heads and stalks used as an inoculum for aflatoxin contamination, 185 (95%) harvested the crops as soon as the crops were matured, 138 (70%) used a threshing method known as ‘trampling by hoofed animals’. After threshing, about 124 (64%) respondents had the knowledge and practice of drying cereals and legumes to decrease the moisture content, 134 (68%) used solar drying on a bare ground, 184 (94%) cleaned and disinfected the storage structures before storage. Almost all the respondents practiced the CFs processing steps properly and they used colour, type, odour, insect infestations, mouldiness and all these criteria to select the CFs ingredients. A total of 78 (40%) respondents had the practice of feeding mouldy cereals and legumes to animals, and 89 (46%) of the respondents erroneously believed that roasting can decontaminate the aflatoxin produced from mouldy cereals. As a general conclusion, the majority of the respondents are practicing good agricultural practices in the field, but they use poor storage and processing practices at homes which are susceptible to mould and aflatoxin contamination. Besides, they lack awareness about the toxic effects of aflatoxin on human health. Therefore, awareness creation about the health impacts of aflatoxin and methods of prevention need to be implemented in the study areas.