Richard Wanambwa
10 November 2007
Kampala — CONSUMPTION of groundnuts, maize, cassava chips, soybeans and millet processed by local grinding mills could lead to cancer, a Usaid funded research done by Makerere University has shown.
Dr Archileo Kaaya, a senior lecturer in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the university, conducted the research from 2000-2007 across the country.
He said the findings showed that locally fabricated grinding mills were partly responsible for the increase in cancer levels.
"Mild steel is always pilling off particles of hammers or blades of blenders within 6-8 months and this coupled with the rotten groundnuts, maize, cassava chips, soybeans and millet will increase cancer levels by 10 times the recommended standards," Dr Kaaya said.
The research measures the quantity in terms of parts per billion (ppb) or microgrammes. The report shows that while developed countries have the capacity to handle the aflatoxins intake by their people, it was worse in developing countries because they have no capacity to detect the recommended Aflatoxins intake.
Aflatoxins are chemicals produced by fungi known as Aspergillus flavus. When contaminated food is cooked, the fungi will be killed but not the toxins because they are heat stable, thus causing cancer.
"While the US and EU has strict laws limiting aflatoxin levels in human nutrition to 20ppb and 4ppb respectively, few developing countries have enforceable laws in place," the report says.
"Aflatoxins are dangerous and may cause diseases such as liver cancer when these particles collect around the liver. Other sicknesses among children include retard growth and immune suppression," he said.
Dr Sam Zaramba, the director general of health services confirmed the findings.
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