Describe insinuations that cassava contains a killer fungus as false
A renowned food expert, Prof. Lateef Sanni, has described as baseless and unfounded, insinuations that cassava contains a killer fungus called ‘Aflatoxin’, which makes the staple food unsafe for consumption.
Aflatoxins are naturally occurring mycotoxins that are produced by many species of Aspergillus, a fungus. Aflatoxins are toxic and among the most carcinogenic substances known.
Sanni, a Professor of Food Science and Technology at the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (UNAAB), allayed the fear on Friday, describing it as the imagination of mischief makers.
“I want to tell you specifically that we have dismissed the speculation with some scientific evidence. Aflatoxin in cassava is harmlessly minimal, especially when compared to other raw materials or commodities. Once it is subjected to the usual thorough processing, it is automatically safe for consumption,” he said.
Sanni, who is also the Country Manager of ‘Cassava: Adding Value for Africa’ project, added that Nigeria was in good stead as far as the global minimum standard of ‘aflatoxin’ in cassava was concerned.
Similarly, Dr. Olusegun Atanda of the Department of Food Service and Tourism at the same university said that the fermentation process of cassava removed most of the toxins from the crop.
He said that there was no empirical evidence to show that the aflatoxin content in cassava was high.
