»Preventing aflatoxin in groundnut«
Aflatoxin is a harmful substance that can accumulate when a fungus infects some crops, they contaminate crops.
Additionally, it is always important to identify sources of aflatoxin and control them immediately to protect human health and trade. Minimizing aflatoxins ensures food quality. In most cases the fungus that cause aflatoxins live well in dry environments.
Aflatoxin Source
First, aflatoxins can not neither be seen nor cleaned from food neither by cooking nor washing. Furthermore, aflatoxins come from fungus which grows on kernel and spread during growing season or later in storage after harvest. Fungus spores are everywhere and easily contaminate food.
Aflatoxin control
Always plant on time to allow crop mature in rainy season where fungus can not survive. Furthermore, plant at proper plant densities to shade ground and keep soil cooler. Also harvest all crops from field since ground remaining plants can be affected. Additionally, dry the harvested crops well, pluck off nuts and further dry them on tarpaulin to avoid contamination. Lastly, sort damaged and discoloured nuts and store good them in clean, dry bags away from pests.
