Aflatoxins in Nigerian dry-roasted groundnuts

Samples of dry roasted groundnuts (DRG) purchased from street hawkers, markets and retail shops in southwestern Nigeria were analysed for moisture content, fungal populations and aflatoxin contamination. The moisture content varied from 2.1% to 3.6% while the mould counts, using the dilution plating method, ranged from 2.9 × 102 to 6.3 × 102 colony-forming units per gramme. Aflatoxin B1 was found in 64.2% of samples with a mean of 25.5 ppb. Aflatoxins B2, G1 and G2 were detected in 26.4%, 11.3% and 2.8% of the samples with mean levels of 10.7, 7.2 and 8 ppb, respectively, in contaminated samples. It is concluded that the regular consumption of DRG by Nigerians might present potential health hazards to consumers.