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Imprint
Development and implementation of sustainable strategies to improve food-safety and retain nutritional values by reducing fungal infestation and aflatoxin contamination in the food-chain in Sub-Sahara Africa, focused on Kenya. Subproject 3: Analysis of aflatoxin biomarkers and characterization of the health status of dairy cows (AflaZ)
Project
Project code: 2816PROC13, FLI-ITE-08-Br-0056
Contract period: 01.11.2018
- 31.10.2021
Purpose of research: Basic research
Maize and milk are food products which are highly accepted and commonly consumed by the African population. Unfortunately, both staples, livestock feed and milk, have been found to be frequently and heavily contaminated by fungal aflatoxins, and people are continuously exposed to levels which are far above the recommended levels. Nevertheless, the consumption of these products tends to increase steadily. AflaZ aims to contribute to the improved food safety and quality standards of milk, maize and products thereof in Kenya, as a high risk model region for Sub-Saharan Africa, through the development of fast, effective and sustainable methods to monitor, to analyze and to reduce fungal infestation and aflatoxin contamination on field and in storage. A strong knowledge exchange and an effective communication between scientists, stakeholders and population is the prerequisite for behavior change on farms and households. Thus, AflaZ will implement extensive capacity development activities in cooperation with local institutions involving farmers, students and further stakeholders, to ensure a sustainable knowledge transfer, the cultural acceptance of the recommendations and thus enables the effective integration of the methods by the local population. In this context the aim of the present project at the FLI is to establish aflatoxin biomarkers in urine and blood of dairy cows and compare these with the well-established biomarker aflatoxin M1 in milk. These results can provide detailed information about distribution, metabolization and excretion of aflatoxins. Furthermore, the health status of the dairy cows will be intensively monitored to recognize the changes during an aflatoxin exposure and to identify various blood parameters as indirect exposure indicators.
Section overview
Subjects
- Food Processing
- Communication Sciences
- Toxicology
Framework programme
Funding programme
Excutive institution
Participating institutions
Funding institution
Project management agencies
Associated projects: AflaZ
- Development and implementation of sustainable strategies to improve food-safety and retain nutritional values by reducing fungal infestation and aflatoxin contamination in the food-chain in Kenya as model region for Sub-Sahara Africa. Subproject 1
- Development and implementation of sustainable strategies to improve food-safety and retain nutritional values by reducing fungal infestation and aflatoxin contamination in the food-chain in Kenya as model region for Sub-Saharan Africa. Subproject 2
- Development and implementation of sustainable strategies to improve food-safety and retain nutritional values by reducing fungal infestation and aflatoxin contamination in the food-chain in Kenya as model region for Sub-Sahara Africa. Subproject 4
