Food handlers play a critical role in controlling food contamination from “farm to fork”. Therefore, inadequate knowledge, poor attitudes and improper practices by food handlers pose a serious challenge to food safety. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of food handlers along the rice value chain of Uganda with the view of understanding factors that influence contamination of rice with aflatoxins, heavy metals and pesticides. A cross-sectional study, using a structured questionnaire through face-to-face interviews with 252 respondents was conducted in Butaleja, Gulu, Hoima, Kampala, Mutukula, Mbale and Mbarara districts. Categorical data was expressed as frequencies and percentages. The unique predictors of the KAP of rice handlers were defined using multivariate linear regression analysis. About 221 (87.7%) food handlers knew about the occurrence and causes of aflatoxins contamination in rice. Changes in colour (81.7%) and a musty smell (82.9%) were perceived to indicate the presence of aflatoxins. The main pre- and post-harvest aflatoxin preventative practices identified were growing resistant rice varieties (82.9%) and proper drying (79.8%). Food handlers were generally not knowledgeable (73.4%) about heavy metal contamination in rice. All food handlers used pesticides; however, 68.3% had never received formal training in pesticide use. Majority (86.1%) of food handlers were aware of the harmful effects of pesticides but on the contrary, this did not significantly change their practices towards safe pesticide use. At multivariate level, education was the unique predictor for aflatoxins and heavy metal contamination. Pesticide contamination was mainly influenced by district of residence. Therefore, appropriate educational programs organized to train food handlers can promote food safety in the rice value chain of Uganda. Interventions by regulatory agencies to strengthen enforcement of laws related to contaminants through regular surveillance at the farm and retail outlets are necessary to ensure compliance by food handlers.
Food control defines activities, along the food supply chain, that provide consumer protection and ensure that all foods provided for human consumption are wholesome, conform to safety and quality requirements, and are accurately labelled as prescribed by law. This review analysed the capacity and performance of the existing food control system in Uganda, with specific focus on the rice value chain. This study targeted food safety laws, regulations and agreements to which Uganda is signatory for gaps in, and opportunities for improvement of food control along the rice value chain. The operational components of a food control system including inspection, testing, certification, enforcement, and surveillance controls along the rice value chain were investigated. The analysis established there is a significant threat to food safety due to outdated laws, uncoordinated regulatory framework, overlapping mandates, limited testing capacity, inadequate human resource, limited awareness of contaminants and lack of epidemiological data on food outbreaks along the rice value chain. Food control systems must strike a balance between food security, food safety, market access gains and protection of public health.
Previous studies have reported the presence of aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2), heavy metals (As, Cd and Pb) and organochlorine pesticide residues (OCPs) in rice sold in Uganda. However, the potential health effects associated with consumption of rice have not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health risk of consuming rice sold in Uganda. A total of 45 packed and 30 open traded rice samples were randomly collected from retail outlets in the main rice trading areas of Uganda. Rice was analysed for AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2, As, Cd, Pb and OCPs using AOAC standard methods. Dietary exposure of the consumers to contaminants was assessed using the estimated daily intake (EDI). The Hazard index (HI) and the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) were determined to define the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk from contaminants, respectively. The potency of liver cancer cases in Uganda was 1.02E-5 and 1.05E-5 adults/year/100,000, and 6.50E-4 and 6.72E-5 infants /year/100,000 for open traded and packed rice, respectively. The values obtained for the ILCR for Arsenic detected in rice were 1.14E-2 and 7.28E-2 for adults and infants, respectively. The ILCR of all detected OCPs in adults and infants were higher than 1.0E-4, in both open traded and packed rice. This study established a potential carcinogenic risk from consumption of rice sold in Uganda in both infants and adults at the current level of contamination and consumption rate. Establishment of a monitoring system along the entire rice value chain; enforced by a national regulatory body can provide timely feedback on the levels of contamination and the progress in reducing the contamination burden.
Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in Uganda contribute significantly to socio-economic growth and development. Several training programs have been organized to upgrade the skills and competencies of personnel in these agro-processing enterprises but these often lack a wholistic approach. An Empowerment of the Agro-Processing Industry (EAPI) training was organised to include eight modules covering the key concepts necessary for an agro-processor. These included; food process and value-chain management, product optimization, national and international food standards, Good Management Practices (GMP) and hygienic food processing, quality control, waste management, infrastructure development for food production and food product marketing. This study assessed the potential benefits of the EAPI training on 40 agro-processors from 40 selected agro-processing facilities. Upon completion of a three-day skills development training, MSME practitioners were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive, scale, and thematic analysis were used in the study. The questionnaire used was reliable (Cronbach’s coefficient alpha for relevancy = 0.873). Agro-processors found all modules relevant with an average score ranging between 8.7 and 9.5 on a scale of 10. Increase in knowledge, and interaction between stakeholders were the most outstanding potential benefits of the training. Respondents anticipated improving their operations after the training. Provision of handouts, increasing the number of days for the training, and simplifying the language of delivery were some of the suggested improvements. The study suggests that trainings of this nature could improve operations at different agro-processing facilities.
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