Q. What does this fungus looks like?

Ans.

The important characteristic features of aflatoxicosis are jaundice, cirrhosis. Long term exposure to aflatoxins could lead to chronic hepatitis and primary liver cancer. Besides maize, other foods in which this toxin or its metabolite ca~occur, are the raw food commodities including cereals, nuts, spices, figs, dried fruits, dairy products such as milk and cheese and also animal feed ingredients like groundnut and cottonseed cake. Aflatoxins are quite stable in many foods and are fairly resistant to degradation. Prevention measures include drying the agriculture commodities well, keeping commodities dry and decontamination. Detoxification using ammonia is also useful in case of animal feed ingredients like groundnut cake. The complete elimination of aflatoxins in human and animal food, while desirable, is extremely unlikely as the climatic conditions determine the occurrence of aflatoxins during preharvest, harvest and post-harvest stages.

Aflatoxins, you should know, are both acutely and chronically toxic. Aflatoxins are quite stable in many foods and are fairly resistant to degradation. The complete elimination of aflatoxins in human and animal food, while desirable, is extremely unlikely as they have the potential to arise in a wide range of agricultural products.