Chilenga Chimwemwe, Kasapila William, Masamba Kingsley, Ndhlovu Brown, Munkhuwa Victor, Chibwana Gracian, Machira Kennedy
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda College Campus, Food Science and Technology, Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi.
Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDs, Ministry of Health, P/Bag B401, Lilongwe, Malawi.
Toxicol Rep. 2025 Aug 5;15:102105. doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2025.102105. eCollection 2025 Dec.
Mycotoxin contamination remains a persistent barrier to Malawi's food safety, public health, and agricultural development. This systematic review assessed 36 peer-reviewed and grey literature sources published between 2009 and 2025 to evaluate contamination prevalence, knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among food value chain stakeholders, and the effectiveness of existing interventions. The review followed PRISMA guidelines and applied thematic analysis to identify trends and gaps. Findings show critically low awareness levels, with a national average of 24.5 %, and no measurable improvements in KAP indicators between 2012 and 2025, despite numerous interventions. Aflatoxins were the most studied, primarily in maize and groundnuts, which accounted for 75.5 % of analyzed samples, while other toxins and susceptible foods such as dried fish, mushrooms, and vegetables remain largely overlooked. Misconceptions about mold-related health risks persist, and socio-economic constraints often lead communities to consume or sell contaminated food. Recommended mitigation strategies, such as drying and hand sorting, are underused due to labor intensity and limited technical support. Conflicting findings on post-harvest practices, particularly drying methods, have further complicated efforts to standardize effective interventions. This review consolidates fragmented data and reorganizes it to expose persistent knowledge gaps, neglected commodities, and intervention blind spots. It highlights the importance of conducting research that is rooted in agroecology and tailored to specific contexts. Furthermore, it advocates for a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach that strengthens surveillance, ensures regulatory compliance, and promotes education among stakeholders.
霉菌毒素污染仍然是马拉维食品安全、公共卫生和农业发展的一个长期障碍。本系统综述评估了2009年至2025年期间发表的36篇同行评审文献和灰色文献,以评估食品价值链利益相关者中的污染流行情况、知识、态度和行为(KAP),以及现有干预措施的有效性。该综述遵循PRISMA指南,并应用主题分析来识别趋势和差距。研究结果显示,人们的认知水平极低,全国平均水平为24.5%,尽管采取了众多干预措施,但2012年至2025年期间KAP指标没有可衡量的改善。黄曲霉毒素是研究最多的毒素,主要存在于玉米和花生中,这两种作物占分析样本的75.5%,而其他毒素以及易受影响的食品,如干鱼、蘑菇和蔬菜,在很大程度上仍被忽视。对与霉菌相关的健康风险的误解依然存在,社会经济限制往往导致社区食用或销售受污染的食品。由于劳动强度大且技术支持有限,推荐的缓解策略,如干燥和手工分拣,未得到充分利用。关于收获后做法,特别是干燥方法的相互矛盾的研究结果,进一步使标准化有效干预措施的努力复杂化。本综述整合了分散的数据并对其进行重新整理,以揭示持续存在的知识差距、被忽视的商品和干预盲点。它强调了开展基于农业生态学并针对特定背景的研究的重要性。此外,它主张采取协调一致的多部门方法,加强监测、确保监管合规并促进利益相关者之间的教育。
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