Aflatoxin is a toxic substance produced by mold fungi (Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus) that can grow on poorly managed agricultural crops, particularly groundnuts. If eaten in sufficient quantities, aflatoxin can cause serious sicknesses that can lead to liver and several other cancers. Groundnuts for sale and export should be free from aflatoxin. Therefore appropriate crop management is essential at pre- and post-harvest times.
1. Aflatoxin is carcinogenic and can cause liver and other cancers in humans.
2. It is synergistic with hepatitis viruses B and C.
3. It lowers the body's normal immune response to invasion by foreign substances.
4. It impairs growth in children, notably in Africa, and causes childhood cirrhosis in India.
5. In poultry and livestock, aflatoxin can cause feed refusal, loss of weight, reduced egg production, and contamination of milk.
Regular checks of aflatoxins B1 or total aflatoxins in feed can prevent the presence of Aflatoxin M1 in milk, saving unnecessary costs. In the same way, monitoring aflatoxins in raw materials or processed food can avoid extra costs and brand damage as result of recall for contamination. Our quick, easy-to-use tests allow total Aflatoxins, B1 or M1 to be tested on the farm or industry without the need for a laboratory.
Reproducibility, specificity, traceability and fast turnaround time are key for a laboratory. ELISA tests help you quantifying very low levels of aflatoxins, as well as processing larger numbers of samples with good reproducibility.
