[h=1]Fungal toxins are poisoning Africa?s children, says new report[/h] By
Catherine MatacicFeb. 18, 2016 , 5:15 PM
Children in Africa and parts of Asia are falling victim to an ?invisible? epidemic?fungal toxins in food that can stunt their growth and delay their development, according to a new report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer and funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The two main toxins?aflatoxin and fumonisin?are present in dangerously high levels in groundnuts, cassava, and corn, which make up the bulk of children?s diets from Benin to Kenya.
The toxins have long been known to cause liver cancer and, in high enough concentrations, death. But this is the first time that they have been shown by multiple studies to contribute significantly to childhood development.
?It?s a massive problem? largely unknown in developed nations, says J. David Miller, a fungal toxicologist at Carleton University in Ottawa and one of the report authors. ?Enormous amounts of money are spent [in the United States and Western Europe] to keep you from being exposed to these kinds of toxins.?...
