Abstract
Infants and young children (IYC) remain the most vulnerable population group to environmental hazards worldwide, especially in economically developing regions such as sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). As a result, several governmental and non-governmental institutions including health, environmental and food safety networks and researchers have been proactive toward protecting this group. Mycotoxins, toxic secondary fungal metabolites, contribute largely to the health risks of this young population. In SSA, the scenario is worsened by socioeconomic status, poor agricultural and storage practices, and low level of awareness, as well as the non-establishment and lack of enforcement of regulatory limits in the region. Studies have revealed mycotoxin occurrence in breast milk and other weaning foods. Of concern is the early exposure of infants to mycotoxins through transplacental transfer and breast milk as a consequence of maternal exposure, which may result in adverse health effects. The current paper presents an overview of mycotoxin occurrence in foods intended for IYC in SSA. It discusses the imperative evidence of mycotoxin exposure of this population group in SSA, taking into account consumption data and the occurrence of mycotoxins in food, as well as biomonitoring approaches. Additionally, it discusses the health implications associated with IYC exposure to mycotoxins in SSA.
Highlights
Fungi are ubiquitous in nature, having the capacity to colonise a wide range of ecosystems, including crops and foodstuffs worldwide
This is evident in the continuous monitoring of foods for Infants and young children (IYC), assessment of exposure, and characterisation of risk associated with IYC exposure to mycotoxins and the stringent establishment and enforcement of regulatory limits to protect this subgroup of the population
The same trend was observed by an earlier study, which assessed the exposure of IYC to mycotoxins through the consumption of maize grains as complementary foods in Nigeria using the probable daily intake (PDI) approach [120]
Summary
Fungi are ubiquitous in nature, having the capacity to colonise a wide range of ecosystems, including crops and foodstuffs worldwide. This scenario of stunting and wasting is often seen in the developing continents such as Africa [42], especially in SSA This region is characterised by the frequent occurrence and high levels of contaminants such as mycotoxins in food products and food for infants and young children, including complementary and weaning foods, as well as breast milk [9,38,43,44,45,46]. The non-proactiveness of the food safety bodies and the complex agricultural farming system in the region further complicate the situation Another possibility is inadequate scientific data, including occurrence, exposure, and risk assessment data in SSA. It summarises the previous studies on mycotoxin exposure of IYC as well as health implications of mycotoxins in IYC with particular reference to the SSA region
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