Survey of Knowledge of Moulds and Aflatoxin Levels of Grains Sold in Markets for Human Consumption within North-Central-States Capital Cities, Nigeria

Abstract

Aflatoxins, categorized as carcinogenic mycotoxins, were studied in grains sold for human consumption across North-Central Capital Cities from December 2022 to November 2023. The survey encompassed six cities (Jos, Minna, Markurdi, Lafiya, Lokoja, Ilorin) and utilized structured questionnaires to gather data. Knowledge levels regarding mould infections and aflatoxins contamination were assessed using descriptive statistics, while demographic influences were analysed via independent t-tests. Results indicated that 32.5% to 42.5% of respondents identified moulds infections in grains, while 34.2% to 90.8% were unaware of aflatoxin's association with liver cancer. Notably, females demonstrated higher knowledge scores (71.50±8.34) compared to males (48.00±8.32), individuals with ≥ secondary education exhibited greater understanding (91.17±7.57) than those with less than secondary education (25.83±7.57), and respondents aged > 25 years scored higher (87.85±9.60) than those aged ≤ 25 years (30.80±6.99). Aflatoxin contamination levels exceeded the European limit (not greater than 4.0 µg/kg) in 6.7% of samples, with statistically significant differences observed (p ≤ 0.05). The findings underscore the importance of regional enlightenment campaigns regarding mould infections in grains and the health risks associated with aflatoxins for both humans and animals. Such initiatives are crucial for enhancing public awareness and promoting practices that mitigate aflatoxin exposure, ultimately safeguarding human and animal health within the surveyed area.