Dangers of Aflatoxin poisoning

Source:Island

Why is SriLanka ,which once exported coconut products, importing coconut oil? It is sad to hear anecdotal stories of even 800 rupees for two Indian pomegranates.

I read a news report about the presence of Aflatoxins in the imported coconut oil. It may be present in local oil too, if they aren’t produced according to standards. Is this brouhaha a bit of scaremongering, or is it a genuine safety hazard? It must be a genuine concern regardless of the origins of the product.

Truly, since the import craze started, SriLanka became a dumping ground for all sorts of dubious products that don’t seem to meet advanced safety standards found in the West. Cars are an example. But food is essential for everyone. Are SLSI standards strictly enforced sans interference and corruption?

I read in your newspaper (my favorite Sri Lankan English newspaper) an alarming story about substandard coconut oil and the concern about Aflatoxins. Seems like a lot of people think it’s an artificial chemical poison.

Aflatoxins are not a single chemical. Aflatoxins are toxins produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus — that can grow on food ingredients, such as corn, peanuts, and other grains. At high levels, Aflatoxins can cause illness (aflatoxicosis), liver damage, death in pets, and can cause severe reactions in humans with allergies.

Large doses of Aflatoxins lead to acute poisoning that can be life threatening, usually through damage to the liver. Outbreaks of acute liver failure (jaundice, lethargy, nausea, death), identified as Aflatoxicosis, have been observed in human populations since the 1960s.

Here are some useful links for you to share. This includes articles related to SriLanka.

https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/chemicals/aflatoxin.htm

B.a research paper extract.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956713519300659

https://jnsfsl.sljol.info/articles/abstract/10.4038/jnsfsr.v11i2.8385/

http://www.fao.org/3/ad729e/ad729e00.htm