Mycotoxins: Food Production and Exportation in Nigeria

Mycotoxins are low-molecular weight secondary metabolites produced by fungi, mostly of the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. They are noncritical to the instantaneous survival of the organism, and mostly affect its long-term survival. Fungal growth is enhanced by the warm, humid atmosphere and organic substrate-rich soil, such as exists in Nigeria, and they massively infect Nigerian plants and livestock. One consequence is reduced agricultural yield, which leads to food shortage. Mycotoxin contamination reduces food quality, making it unfit for human and animal consumption, and lowering its commercial value. It increases cost of production, when cost of fungicides and stringent maintenance and processing practices and facilities are added to the budget. Importantly, they cause health problems, called mycotoxicoses, and reduce life expectancy in affected areas. Excess use of fungicides to deal with contaminants also gives rise to pesticide poisoning, which is common in Nigeria. Internationally, mycotoxins lead to huge fiscal losses annually due to import bans imposed on Nigerian products which do not meet quality standards, as was the case when the European Union rejected over 120 food products from Nigeria between 2013 and 2016. Suggested mycotoxin control methods include: planting resistant cultivars; adhering to excellent farming practices and aseptic techniques; and biological control, such as the use of spores from atoxigenic fungi like Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus.