SCIENTIFIC STUDIES conducted from major processing sites and markets in Accra have concluded comprehensively that there is a widespread occurrence of the strain that causes cancer, particularly, liver cancer, in Ga kenkey. The scientific community which conducted the research, Food Research Institute (along with foreign scientists), have so far limited the circulation of the report, which is treated confidentially, fearing that reckless leakage of the findings could cause widespread panic among the public since the maize derivative, kenkey, is eaten by more than half of the population.
Both the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Mike Akyeampong, and the Chief Director of the Ministry, Dr. K. Dapaah, told the Ghanaian Chronicle that they were not privy to any such report, but according to the Chief Director, the ministry had been collaborating with the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) to minimise the occurrence of the strand that causes cancer."
Scientists at the Food Research Institute last Tuesday grudgingly acknowledged the information but insisted that the information should not be "sensationalised" since it could cause panic. The information itself is sensational. According to the report, maize which is a major dietary staple has been identified as the "villain" . The moulds which develop on the maize particles, because of delayed or poor drying process, contain a bacteria called aflatoxin, a proven cause of cancer.
According to Mrs. Andam, Director of Food Research Institute and Mrs. K. Kpodo, one of the scientists who conducted the study, maize which is not dried within two to three days of harvesting is almost certain to develop those moulds. In the estimation of Mrs. Kpodo, farmers in the outlying rural communities may have difficulties in fulfilling this requirement since they may not have easy access to the mechanical driers used by the Food Distribution Corporation (FDC) and the farm she cited as the best maize farm in the country, Ejura Farms in Ashanti region.
Yours truly was shown an innocuous-looking kernel (maize particle) and the small dark spot identified as the mould which is the potential killer. Cooking does not destroy aflatoxin but a second mycotoxin (call it "germs" in the layman's language) called citrinin was no longer detectable after cooking of the fermented dough for three hours. FRI refused to hand over a copy of their report for study by this reporter but an earlier report obtained by The Ghanaian Chronicle through Elsevier Science Service of Great Britain began its seven-page report with the alarming opener.
"The occurrence of mycotoxins in fermented maize dough and Ga Kenkey from major processing sites and markets in Accra was investigated. Experiments were then conducted to study the effects of spontaneous fermentation and cooking on aflatoxin and citrinin levels at two processing sites and under laboratory conditions.
"Occurrence of aflatoxins and citrinin was widespread with generally high concentrations. Levels as high as 289pp,kg for total aflatoxin and 584pp,kg,for citrinin were recorded..Significant increases in aflatoxin levels were observed during the initial stages of fermentation. Furthermore, aflatoxin and citrinin were found to persist throughout the traditional steeping and fermentation processes..."
The report continues: "Mycological studies of Ghanaian maize have demonstrated the presence of several toxigenic moulds including aflatoxin and citrinin producing species". Positive linkage of aflatoxin to cancer, especially liver cancer has been established in South East Asia and Africa.
The newly-established Cancer Unit at Korle-Bu does not have a cancer registry and Dr. Kyere of Ghana Atomic Research Institute which has oversight of the cancer unit told this reporter that they desperately needed help with the establishment of the unit which could have assisted with my enquiries, but available records show that cervical and breast cancer were the highest variety of cancer. According to published studies, primary liver cancer is one of the commonest cancers with a relative frequency of 14.5% and accounts for 20 % of cancers in the male population.
But all is not gloom and doom. According to Mrs. Kpodo, it is imperative that corn dough processors and maize farmers should make conscious efforts to isolate and pick out all kernels with the deadly moulds if this threat is to be countered in a meaningful way (They are the ones with the dark spots). Maize should also be immediately dried out properly. Most of the small-scale farmers produce the bulk of the maize consumed in the country and they rely on sun to dry, a difficult proposition especially in the prevailing temperature
Mrs. Kpodo disclosed that a National Technical Committee on Aflatoxins has already been established to study the situation in general. The Ministry's Chief Director, Dr. Dapaah however, noted that "anything that causes cancer is something we should be aware of even if its one per cent of the causes of death, it is one per cent of human lives". He, however, stressed that cancer may probably not be in the top 10 in the causes of death in Ghana.
