Abstract
In the Centane magisterial area of South Africa, high rates of oesophageal cancer have been associated with home-grown maize contaminated with fumonisins. The aim of this study was to implement a simple intervention method to reduce fumonisin exposure in a subsistence-farming community. The hand-sorting and washing procedures, based on traditional maize-based food preparation practices, were previously customised under laboratory-controlled conditions. Home-grown maize and maize-based porridge collected at baseline were analysed for fumonisin B(1), B(2) and B(3). The geometric mean (95% confidence interval) of fumonisin contamination in the home-grown maize at baseline was 1.67 (1.21-2.32) mg kg(-1) and 1.24 (0.75-2.04) mg kg(-1) (dry weight) in the porridge. Fumonisin exposure was based on individual stiff porridge consumption and the specific fumonisin levels in the porridge (dry weight) consumed. Porridge (dry weight) consumption at baseline was 0.34 kg day(-1) and fumonisin exposure was 6.73 (3.90-11.6) µg kg(-1) body weight day(-1). Female participants (n = 22) were trained to recognise and remove visibly infected/damaged kernels and to wash the remaining maize kernels. The discarded kernels represented 3.9% by weight and the fumonisins varied from 17.1 to 76.9 mg kg(-1). The customised hand-sorting and washing procedures reduced fumonisin contamination in the maize and porridge by 84 and 65%, respectively. The intervention reduced fumonisin exposure by 62% to 2.55 (1.94-3.35) µg kg(-1) body weight day(-1). This simple intervention method has the potential to improve food safety and health in subsistence-farming communities consuming fumonisin-contaminated maize as their staple diet.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Hand-sorting and washing procedures reduced fumonisin contamination in maize by 84%.
- Treatment
- hand-sorting and washing procedurese3
- Outcome
- fumonisin contamination in the maizee3
- Direction
- reducede3
- Value
- 84e3
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“subsistence maize-farming community”
e3“The customised hand-sorting and washing procedures reduced fumonisin contamination in the maize and porridge by 84 and 65%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Hand-sorting and washing procedures reduced fumonisin contamination in maize-based porridge by 65%.
- Treatment
- hand-sorting and washing procedurese3
- Outcome
- fumonisin contaminatione3
- Direction
- reducede3
- Value
- 65%e3
- Qualifier
- porridgee3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“subsistence maize-farming community”
e3“The customised hand-sorting and washing procedures reduced fumonisin contamination in the maize and porridge by 84 and 65%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
The intervention reduced fumonisin exposure by 62%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“subsistence maize-farming community”
e4“The intervention reduced fumonisin exposure by 62% to 2.55 (1.94-3.35) µg kg(-1) body weight day(-1)”
Claim · model-written summary
Baseline fumonisin contamination of home-grown maize had a geometric mean of 1.67 mg/kg.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“subsistence maize-farming community”
e0“The geometric mean (95% confidence interval) of fumonisin contamination in the home-grown maize at baseline was 1.67 (1.21-2.32) mg kg(-1) and 1.24 (0.75-2.04) mg kg(-1) (dry weight) in the porridge”
Claim · model-written summary
Baseline fumonisin contamination of maize-based porridge had a geometric mean of 1.24 mg/kg.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“subsistence maize-farming community”
e0“The geometric mean (95% confidence interval) of fumonisin contamination in the home-grown maize at baseline was 1.67 (1.21-2.32) mg kg(-1) and 1.24 (0.75-2.04) mg kg(-1) (dry weight) in the porridge”
Claim · model-written summary
Porridge consumption at baseline was 0.34 kg per day.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“subsistence maize-farming community”
e1“Porridge (dry weight) consumption at baseline was 0.34 kg day(-1) and fumonisin exposure was 6.73 (3.90-11.6) µg kg(-1) body weight day(-1)”
Claim · model-written summary
Baseline fumonisin exposure was 6.73 µg per kg body weight per day.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“subsistence maize-farming community”
e1“Porridge (dry weight) consumption at baseline was 0.34 kg day(-1) and fumonisin exposure was 6.73 (3.90-11.6) µg kg(-1) body weight day(-1)”
Claim · model-written summary
Discarded kernels represented 3.9% of the maize by weight.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“subsistence maize-farming community”
e2“The discarded kernels represented 3.9% by weight and the fumonisins varied from 17.1 to 76.9 mg kg(-1)”
Claim · model-written summary
Fumonisin levels in discarded kernels varied from 17.1 to 76.9 mg/kg.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“subsistence maize-farming community”
e2“The discarded kernels represented 3.9% by weight and the fumonisins varied from 17.1 to 76.9 mg kg(-1)”
The same questions in other papers
processing · disease · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
12 papers in the same direction as this paper · 16 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- negative
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26 papers more in this group
See all 30 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.