Fumonisin exposure through maize in complementary foods is inversely associated with linear growth of infants in Tanzania

Abstract

Infants consuming maize-based foods are at a high risk of exposure to fumonisins. This study explored the association between exposure of fumonisins from maize and growth retardation among infants in Tanzania. Mothers of 215 infants consented for their children to participate in this study. We estimated maize intake for each child by twice conducting a 24 h dietary recall and fumonisins level in the maize, using HPLC. Fumonisins exposure for each child was estimated by combining his/her maize intake and the fumonisins level in the maize. Of the infants, 191 consumed maize. The maize consumed by 131 infants contained fumonisins at levels varying from 21 to 3201 μg/kg. Fumonisins exposure in 26 infants exceeded the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake of 2 μg/kg body weight. At 12 months of age, infants exposed to fumonisins intakes above the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake of 2 μg/kg bodyweight were significantly shorter by 1.3 cm and 328 g lighter. It appears that the exposure to fumonisins is associated with growth retardation. This is the first study to report an association between fumonisins exposures and growth retardation.

Maize Storage and Consumption Practices of Farmers in Handeni District, Tanzania: Corollaries for Mycotoxin Contamination

“…Maize flour is the major ingredient for complementary and traditional dishes throughout Tanzania. Dietary exposure to mycotoxins through complementary foods by Tanzanian infants has been reported to be too high [5]. Mycotoxins can adversely affect human health, and young Tanzanian children are at risk.…”

“…Dietary exposure to mycotoxins through complementary foods by Tanzanian infants has been reported to be too high [5]. However, there is limited information on the storage practices and mycotoxin distribution in stored maize in the rural wards of Ndolwa and Mgambo in Handeni District, Tanzania.…”

Assessment of pre-harvest aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination of maize in Babati District, Tanzania

“…Among the crops used as food and feed, maize is an especially good substrate for the growth of moulds that produce aflatoxins and fumonisins [2]. Contamination of maize with aflatoxins and fumonisins has been reported in maize samples in Tanzania [3][4][5].…”

“…Fumonisins are produced by Fusarium species, mostly by Fusarium verticillioides (previously known as F. moniliforme) [6]. Fumonisins have been associated with human oesophageal cancer in South Africa, liver cancer in China and with stunting and, underweight in Tanzania [3,8,9]. The IARC classified fumonisin as a group 2B toxin, considered as possibly carcinogenic to humans [7].…”

A proposed method to determine fumonisin exposure from maize consumption in a rural South African population using a culturally appropriate FFQ

“…Although the aetiology is still unclear, various risk factors have been associated with the disease (3,4) . Exposure to the carcinogenic mycotoxin fumonisin has been associated with a variety of human diseases worldwide including increased oesophageal and liver cancer (5)(6)(7) , childhood stunting (8) , neural tube defects (9) and possible gastrointestinal disorders (10) . Fumonisins, produced by the fungus Fusarium verticillioides growing on maize, are found in higher concentrations in home-grown compared with commercially bought maize (11) .…”