Mycological and Mycotoxicological Analysis of Maize Imported into Senegal.

Most of the maize used in Senegal comes from abroad. However, no contamination data is available to date for maize imported into Senegal. The objective of this study is to determine the food safety level of maize from France, Argentina and the United States. The analysis of aflatoxins in corn samples is carried out on a High-Performance Liquid Chromatograph. PDA culture medium is used for the isolation, purification and identification of potentially mycotoxinogenic molds contaminating imported corn. The results of the analyzes show the presence of aflatoxins in all the samples. In 35% of the samples, the levels of aflatoxin contamination exceed the standards set by the European regulations in force. They also reveal the presence of mycotoxinogenic molds in this corn. These are two aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus (A. flavus and A parasiticus) and Penicillium sp. As a result, and faced with this threatening situation for public health, Senegal must take a major interest in ensuring that imported products comply with international health standards.