Study shows Bokina samples from Ashaiman, Nima contaminated with aflatoxin

Findings of a study published in the Ghana Medical Journal 2021 edition, has revealed that samples of Bokina drink produced locally in Ashaiman and Nima in the Greater Accra Region, are contaminated with aflatoxin.

The Bokina drink is made from dairy milk, millet and sugar.

The study report, which was made available to the Ghana Agency was conducted by a team of researchers from the Department of Clinical Pathology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana; namely Ebenezer Ofori-Attah, Abigail Aning, Mark Ofosuhene, Justice Kumi and Regina Appiah-Opong.

Aflatoxins are a group of highly toxic metabolites produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus.

Consumption of foodstuffs contaminated by aflatoxins may lead to hepatotoxic (liver toxicity) or carcinogenic effects.

Acute aflatoxin exposure is toxic to the liver and may cause death in a few days.

Chronic exposure to aflatoxin could also result in liver cancer in individuals infected with the hepatitis B virus.

The main aim of the study was to investigate levels of total aflatoxin and aflatoxin M1 in Bokina, a home-made non-alcoholic beverage prepared from dairy milk, millet and sugar.

For the study method of Bokina, dairy milk and millet were purchased monthly over a period of seven months from Bokina producers at Ashaiman and Nima both in the Greater Accra Region.

Total aflatoxin and aflatoxin M1 levels in these samples were measured using a fluorometric procedure and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography.

The study shows that Aflatoxin levels in Bokina samples ranged from 1.0 to 21.0 ppb for Ashaiman samples and 1.0 to 23.0 ppb for Nima samples.

It was reported that out of 21 samples from each site, one from Ashaiman and two from Nima had levels of total aflatoxin above the acceptable limit of 20 ppb.

The researchers found similar total aflatoxin levels in millet samples from Ashaiman (range 1.0 to 55.0 ppb) and Nima (range 5.0 to 53.0 ppb), with two samples from Ashaiman and six from Nima having levels above 20ppb.

Levels of Aflatoxin M1 in milk ranged from 0.09 to 6.20 ppb for Ashaiman samples and 0.13 to 12.55 ppb for Nima samples.

According to the study findings, out of the samples, 12 from Ashaiman and 10 from Nima (n=21) had levels of Aflatoxin M1 above the acceptable limit of 0.5 ppb.

All doses of aflatoxin have a cumulative effect on the risk of cancer.

It was recommended that farmers and Bokina producers would be educated on good storage practices and also monitored, so that the public will be protected from aflatoxin exposure and toxicity.