Consumer preferences and fungal and mycotoxin contamination of dried cassava products from Ghana

Members of one hundred and twenty five households from 19 villages producin g dried cassava products were interviewed in Ghana. Kokonte was the most im portant cassava product in 19% of the households processing it. Most kokont e was produced between January and March. Mould growth during processing or storage was a problem during June and July, which is part of the rainy sea son. Most producers and market traders preferred non-mouldy kokonte, althou gh many (59%) would consume a mouldy product. There was a price premium for non-mouldy kokonte. The most commonly isolated fungi were yeasts and Clado sporium spp. (44 out of 49 samples). Other fungi isolated included Aspergil lus spp. (20 samples); Penicillium spp. (15 samples) and Fusarium spp. (30 samples). Sterigmatocystin was detected in 10 samples at 0.17-1.67 mg kg(-1 ); patulin in 4 samples at 0.55-0.85 mg kg(-1); cyclopiazonic acid in 4 sam ples at 0.08-0.72 mg kg(-1); penicillic acid in 5 samples at 0.06-0.23 mg k g(-1) and tenuazonic acid in 3 samples at 0.02-0.34 mg kg(-1). Mycotoxin co ntamination of mouldy kokonte was a potential problem; there is therefore t he need to improve kokonte processing to avoid mould growth.