ILRI A4NH food safety flagship outputs (2012-2021)
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Item Exposure to chronic dietary aflatoxin poisoning is potentially a compromising condition in COVID-19 patients in Africa [Correspondence](Journal Item, 2021-07-15) Kibugu, J.; Munga, L.; Mburu, D.; Grace, Delia; Lindahl, Johanna F.Item Escherichia coli O157:H7 in retail lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in Addis Ababa city: Magnitude of contamination and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern(Journal Article, 2021-07-16) Haile, A.F.; Alonso, Silvia; Berhe, N.; Atoma, T.B.; Boyaka, P.N.; Grace, DeliaEscherichia coli O157:H7 is an important foodborne pathogen but largely under investigated in Africa. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence and pattern of antimicrobial resistance of E. coli O157:H7 in lettuce in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A total of 390 retail lettuce samples were collected across the 10 subcities of Addis Ababa. E. coli O157:H7 was isolated and identified following ISO-16654:2001 standard. The isolates were further tested for antimicrobial susceptibility to 13 antimicrobials using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. Out of the 390 lettuce samples examined, two (0.51%) carried E. coli O157:H7. The antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of strains showed resistance to ampicillin (100%) and tetracycline (50.0%). One of the two isolates was multidrug resistant to two antimicrobials tested. The results of this study demonstrate the presence of drug-resistant E. coli O157:H7 in lettuce in markets in Addis Ababa. Despite the low prevalence, its presence in a product that is eaten raw highlights potential public health risk in the area associated with this pathogen.Item Consumer perceptions of food safety in animal source foods choice and consumption in Nairobi’s informal settlements(Journal Article, 2021-12) Bukachi, S.A.; Ngutu, M.; Muthiru, A.W.; Lépine, A.; Kadiyala, S.; Domínguez-Salas, PaulaBackground Animal-source foods (ASFs) are high-quality nutrient-dense products key to reducing stunting and micronutrient deficiencies. However, their consumption among the poorest households in urban informal settlements is low. Several drivers beyond price, including health considerations have been reported to drive ASF choice and consumption among consumers. This current study explores consumer perceptions of food safety associated with animal source foods (ASFs) consumption in urban informal settlements with a view to unpacking the health considerations driving their choice and consumption. Methods Coupled households with children 6–59 months formed the study sample. The Food Environments Working Group (FEWG) Framework of the Agriculture and Nutrition for Health academy (ANH) was used to guide the study which utilized qualitative methods namely, 60 in-depth interviews (IDIs), 19 focus group discussions, and 19 key informant interviews (KIIs) complemented by unstructured observations. Data were transcribed and analysed according to emerging themes. Results Consumer perceptions of food safety are driven by concerns about food production, processing, handling, storage and the health risks associated with consumption of the ASFs. For all the ASFs, lack of traceability of source, unhygienic environments in which they were sold and health risks around consuming too much or improperly cooked products were key perceptions from the community. To mitigate against food safety risks, consumers used strategies such as boiling the ASFs, purchasing their products from trusted retailers, avoiding vendors in unhygienic environments and reducing the amount and frequency of consumption of ASFs or totally avoiding their consumption. These consumer perceptions are increasingly influencing the ASFs choice and consumption in low-income populations besides other drivers. Notably, given limited incomes that influence their purchasing power and the need for nutritious diets that included ASFs, the dilemma of quality vis-a-vis quantity persists and consumers still accessed and consumed these ASF products to supplement their diets. Conclusions To enhance food safety for ASFs, as well as assure consumer access to safe ASFs from informal markets, there is need to contextualize the value chain as informed by consumer perceptions on food safety as these influence their ASFs choice and consumption.Item Food safety in Tanzania: Lessons from maize and dairy supply chains and policy recommendations(Presentation, 2021-07) Mutua, Florence K.; Omore, Amos O.; Grace, Delia; Kang'ethe, Erastus K.; Mkambula, P.; Mbuya, M.; Musinguzi, E.Item How COVID-19 measures have affected food safety in East Africa(Blog Post, 2021-07-01) Mutua, Florence K.; Grace, Delia; Kang'ethe, Erastus K.Item Informal food markets: What it takes to make them safer(Blog Post, 2021-06-03) Alonso, Silvia; Grace, Delia; Hung Nguyen-VietItem The COVID-19 pandemic and its implications for food safety in East Africa(Working Paper, 2021-05-15) Mutua, Florence K.; Kang’ethe, Erastus; Grace, DeliaItem Effectiveness of training and use of Novasil binder in mitigating aflatoxins in cow milk produced in smallholder farms in urban and periurban areas of Kenya(Journal Article, 2021-04-15) Anyango, G.; Kagera, I.; Mutua, Florence K.; Kahenya, P.; Kyallo, F.; Andang’o, P.; Grace, Delia; Lindahl, Johanna F.Aflatoxins, which commonly contaminate animal feeds and human food, present a major public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. After ingestion by cows, aflatoxin B1 is metabolized to aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), some of which is excreted in milk. This study involved smallholder dairy farms in urban and periurban areas of Nairobi and Kisumu, Kenya. The objective was to determine the effectiveness of training and providing farmers with aflatoxin binder (NovaSil®) on AFM1 contamination in raw milk. A baseline survey was undertaken and 30 farmers whose milk had AFM1 levels above 20 ppt were randomly selected for inclusion in the study. Of these, 20 farmers were part of the intervention, and were given training on the usage of the NovaSil® binder, while 10 served as a control group. All farmers were visited biweekly for three months for interviews and milk samples were collected to measure the AFM1 levels. The AFM1 levels were quantified by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The NovaSil® binder significantly reduced AFM1 concentrations in the raw milk produced by the farmers in the intervention group over the duration of the study (p < 0.01). The control farms were more likely to have milk with AFM1 levels exceeding the regulatory limit of 50 ppt compared to the intervention farms (p < 0.001) (odds ratio = 6.5). The farmers in the intervention group perceived that there was an improvement in milk yield, and in cow health and appetite. These farmers also felt that the milk they sold, as well as the one they used at home, was safer. In conclusion, the use of binders by dairy farmers can be effective in reducing AFM1 in milk. Further research is needed to understand their effectiveness, especially when used in smallholder settings.Item Butter production, processing and handling practices at smallholders level in the central highlands and southwest midlands of Ethiopia(Journal Article, 2020) Tola, A.; Tola, Y.B.; Kassa, T.; Grace, Delia; Beyene, F.; Tolemariam, T.Cross-sectional study of smallholder butter production, processing and handling practices was conducted in the central highlands and south-western midlands of Ethiopia. Semi-structured questionnaire was pre-tested and used for data collection and 532 respondents were purposively selected and interviewed. Statistical Package for Social Sciences and SAS were used to analyse the data. Results show that, women were entirely responsible for butter production and handling and the product is mainly used for income generation, flavouring of locally made foods and stews and hair dressing in the study areas. Amount of raw milk fermented for butter making at a time (7.16 ± 2.43 litres), fermentation time (3.92 ± 0.71 days), churning time (2.12 ± 0.21 hours), quantity of butter produced (0.49 ± 0.01 kg), butter sold /week (0.49 ± 0.02 kg) and butter used for different purposes (0.28 ± 0.06 kg/week) varied significantly (P< 0.05) between the sites. Local butter preservation methods include ghee making, salting and spicing are major ones. PHL of butter occurs in the study areas due to different reasons. Coping mechanisms to mitigate the loss includes use of umbrella to shield butter from direct sunlight and heat while traveling to and in the local markets, storing butter for overnight in buckets of cold water before transporting butter to local markets. Processing, storage, and packaging materials (clay pots and gourds) used for local butter, handling and preservation practices such as spicing and salting were not optimized. Cost-effective strategies can be applied to optimize the current practices to supply adequate, better quality and safe butter. There is a need of dairy processing technologies and dependable marketing systems in the rural areas. It is also vital to assure the safe production, handling and delivery of local butter by creating awareness to the smallholder butter producers.Item Drivers of demand for animal-source foods in low-income informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya(Brief, 2020-10-15) Domínguez-Salas, Paula; Lepine, A.; Kadiyala, S.; Bukachi, S.; Ngutu, M.Item Improved sample selection and preparation methods for sampling plans used to facilitate rapid and reliable estimation of aflatoxin in chicken feed(Journal Article, 2021-03-16) Kibugu, J.; Mdachi, R.; Munga, L.; Mburu, D.; Whitaker, T.; Thu P. Huynh; Grace, Delia; Lindahl, Johanna F.Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a toxic fungal metabolite associated with human and animal diseases, is a natural contaminant encountered in agricultural commodities, food and feed. Heterogeneity of AFB1 makes risk estimation a challenge. To overcome this, novel sample selection, preparation and extraction steps were designed for representative sampling of chicken feed. Accuracy, precision, limits of detection and quantification, linearity, robustness and ruggedness were used as performance criteria to validate this modification and Horwitz function for evaluating precision. A modified sampling protocol that ensured representativeness is documented, including sample selection, sampling tools, random procedures, minimum size of field-collected aggregate samples (primary sampling), procedures for mass reduction to 2 kg laboratory (secondary sampling), 25 g test portion (tertiary sampling) and 1.3 g analytical samples (quaternary sampling). The improved coning and quartering procedure described herein (for secondary and tertiary sampling) has acceptable precision, with a Horwitz ratio (HorRat = 0.3) suitable for splitting of 25 g feed aliquots from laboratory samples (tertiary sampling). The water slurring innovation (quaternary sampling) increased aflatoxin extraction efficiency to 95.1% through reduction of both bias (−4.95) and variability of recovery (1.2–1.4) and improved both intra-laboratory precision (HorRat = 1.2–1.5) and within-laboratory reproducibility (HorRat = 0.9–1.3). Optimal extraction conditions are documented. The improved procedure showed satisfactory performance, good field applicability and reduced sample analysis turnaround time.Item Food safety research and training in informal/wet markets in Southeast Asia(Presentation, 2021-01-27) Hung Nguyen-Viet; Unger, Fred; Sinh Dang-Xuan; Phuc Pham-Duc; Pham Van Hung; Tum, S.; Ty, C.; Chea, Rortana; Grace, DeliaItem CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health Program (A4NH II) (2017-21)(Presentation, 2020-12-17) Hung Nguyen-VietItem Food safety(Brief, 2020-10-22) Grace, DeliaItem Impact of good hygiene management practices on the reduction in microbial contamination of roasted sheep meat sold at urban dibiteries in Senegal(Journal Article, 2021-01-15) Traoré, S.G.; Ndour, A.P.N.; Ossebi, W.; Seko, M.O.; Fokou, G.; Alonso, Silvia; Koné, P.S.; Roesel, Kristina; Grace, Delia; Bonfoh, BassirouA cross-sectional study was conducted in Senegal in May 2015 on the microbial quality of roasted sheep meat in 40 selected dibiteries, which are informal and small fast-food restaurants offering roasted sheep meat to Senegalese consumers. An intervention was designed and implemented in these 40 dibiteries and coupled with an appraisal of the economic managerial performance of those restaurants to improve their hygiene management practices. The microbiological quality of roasted mutton was assessed 1 month before the intervention and then 2 and 10 months post-intervention. Three types of dibiteries were identified among the 40 units studied based on their production process: Senegalese (42.5%), Mauritanian (40%), and Nigerien (17.5%). Of all samples analyzed, 70% were considered satisfactory regarding the levels of contamination at baseline; satisfactory scores rose to 75% at 2 months post-intervention and 83% at 10 months post-intervention. However, those differences were not statistically significant. The financial appraisal revealed that the performance of dibiteries before and after the intervention remained the same with no significant difference in the gross margins. Further studies are needed to understand compliance behavior and incentives that enhance the sustainability of hygiene management practices in the informal retail food sector.Item Assessment of butter adulteration practices and associated food safety issues along the supply chain in traditional communities in the central highlands and southwest midlands of Ethiopia(Journal Article, 2021-05) Gemechu, A.T.; Tola, Y.B.; Dejene, T.K.; Grace, Delia; Aleka, F.B.; Ejeta, T.T.Butter adulteration practices and their health risks were assessed along the supply chains in the central highlands and south-western midlands of Ethiopia. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 1101 respondents. Based on the result of the cross-sectional study, fatty acid profiles of butter samples collected from retailers' shops were investigated to determine the extent of adulteration and understand the risks of food safety. The assessment showed that an average of 94% of the respondents were aware about practices of butter adulteration. The common butter adulterants identified include different brands of hydrogenated vegetable oils, Irish potato puree, banana pulps, water, melted tallow, wheat/maize dough, and buttermilk. The practice of adulteration significantly differed (P<0.05) along the supply chain and increased from farm markets to the retail shops. Economically motivated adulteration is the main reason for adulteration and resulted in up to 50 % of butter spoilage. There were significant differences between the fatty acid profiles of pure butter, retailers' butter, pure butter intentionally adulterated with hydrogenated oil, potato puree, and banana pulp, respectively, and pure hydrogenated oil. The presence of methyl oleate, gondoic and eicosadienoic acids in the retailers' butter might be due to adulteration with hydrogenated oils and banana pulps. The study showed the presence of multiple stage adulteration along the supply chain which could endanger the safety and quality of local butter. Policy makers and regulatory bodies in the area can use the information to improve the safety and quality of local butter along the supply chain.Item Why food safety matters to Africa: Making the case for policy action(Book Chapter, 2020-10-01) Jaffee, S.; Henson, S.; Grace, Delia; Ambrosio, M.; Berthe, F.Food safety is vital for achieving food and nutritional security in Africa. Unsafe food contains microbiological, chemical, or physical hazards that can make people sick, causing acute or chronic illness that, in extreme cases, can lead to death or permanent disability.2 The presence of foodborne hazards can also reduce the bioavailability of nutrients in food, putting already food-insecure populations at greater risk of malnutrition. Food safety is closely linked to other food-related public health issues. For example, the inappropriate use of antimicrobials in livestock and aquaculture production is contributing to the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.Item Why food safety matters to Africa: Making the case for policy action(Presentation, 2020-11) Jaffee, S.; Henson, S.; Grace, Delia; Ambrosio, M.; Berthe, F.Item Food safety in informal markets(Conference Paper, 2020-09-18) Lindahl, Johanna F.Item Food safety in the domestic markets of developing countries(Video, 2020-09) Grace, Delia