As March approaches, for southerners, another month will be the Qingming Festival with heavy rain, and the humid weather will be distressing.

In this environment, aflatoxin naturally comes out and acts as a threat. Its vitality is even stronger than mushrooms after rain. What's even more terrifying is that it is an ubiquitous presence that may appear on your favorite food, your wardrobe, kitchen, bathroom, etc., which may not be spared.

How toxic is aflatoxin?

Many people may not be familiar with aflatoxin, but when it comes to moldy peanuts, soybeans, and rice, they are certainly familiar with it. Aflatoxin "lurks" in these common moldy foods.

As early as 1993, aflatoxin was classified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization. What is the concept of a class of carcinogens? As is well known, arsenic has a strong lethality, but compared to aflatoxin, it is nothing compared to aflatoxin. The toxicity of aflatoxin is 68 times that of arsenic!

Aflatoxin is a metabolite of Aspergillus flavus and parasitic Aspergillus, and its harm to the human body mainly comes from contamination of food. Consuming moldy grains or consuming milk, eggs, etc. produced by poultry and livestock fed with aflatoxin containing feed may pose a risk of poisoning for humans.

Aflatoxin can be teratogenic and carcinogenic, and after entering the human body, it has a strong destructive effect on the liver. Short term intake of small amounts of aflatoxin can easily lead to toxic symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, etc.

Long term excessive intake of aflatoxin may cause liver damage. If the dosage reaches a certain level, it can even directly cause liver cancer, which is extremely harmful.

So, if you accidentally consume food contaminated with aflatoxin, how can you determine if you have been poisoned? Generally speaking, the early symptoms of aflatoxin poisoning mainly manifest as stomach discomfort, including bloating, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever, jaundice, etc.

Over time, it can cause ascites, lower limb edema, gastrointestinal bleeding, etc. If measures are not taken in a timely manner, it may even lead to death.

Where is the favorite place where aflatoxin is "hidden"?

Aflatoxin is so 'toxic', don't think it's far away from us, in fact, it exists within reach. If the security awareness is not high enough, it is very likely to be targeted. In daily life, aflatoxin is most commonly "hidden" in these places:

Firstly, moldy peanuts

Peanuts themselves are rich in oil and they prefer to grow in cool and humid places, making them one of the crops most susceptible to Aspergillus flavus infection. At the same time, aflatoxin is soluble in oils and fats, making it easier to "chase after peanuts without letting them go", thus breeding Aspergillus flavus.

Secondly, unwashed chopsticks

Chopsticks themselves do not breed aflatoxin, but in the process of using chopsticks to pick up vegetables, we inevitably have to pick up foods with high starch content such as peanuts and corn. If the chopsticks are not washed clean or not replaced for a long time after use, starch will remain in the gaps of the chopsticks, causing mold and ultimately breeding aflatoxin.

Thirdly, bitter nuts

When eating nuts such as melon seeds, almonds, walnuts, etc., if you experience bitterness, be sure to spit them out and rinse your mouth in a timely manner, because aflatoxin is transmitted in the form of spores, and the bitterness of nuts is related to the aflatoxin produced during the mold growth process.

Fourth, farm peanut oil

Some people like to buy cheap and affordable farm peanut oil, but little do they know that peanut oil is also a major hidden danger of aflatoxin pollution.

On the one hand, moldy peanuts were not picked out in a timely manner, or the oil extraction machines were not cleaned for a long time, leading to mold growth. On the other hand, the simple process of small rural workshops cannot completely remove harmful substances from raw materials, which can easily cause excessive levels of aflatoxin.

Fifth, moldy rice and corn

Grain crops are prone to mold and contamination by aflatoxin during harvesting and storage. If the spoiled and moldy particles are not picked out, it is easy to cause accidental ingestion and ingest toxins into the stomach.

In addition, unwashed cutting boards, low-quality peanut butter, and sesame paste at home are also more likely to produce aflatoxin, and need to be vigilant.

To prevent the production of aflatoxin, it's better to do these 4 things well

Someone asked, is it easy to get poisoned with aflatoxin, which is so harmful and can be seen everywhere in daily life? In fact, the prerequisite for aflatoxin poisoning is to reach a certain amount, but this does not mean that we can relax our vigilance.

To reduce the production of aflatoxin in daily life, the following measures should be taken:

1. Dealing with moldy and spoiled food in a timely manner, although "waste is shameful", it is understandable to throw away food that can no longer be consumed compared to physical health. If you find that rice, peanuts, nuts and other food in your home have become moldy, be sure to throw them away in a timely manner and never consume them again.

2. Learn to store food correctly, especially grains, in a dry and ventilated place to avoid mold growth and exposure to aflatoxins due to improper storage. In addition, do not hoard a large amount of food at home. It is best to buy as much as you eat to reduce the risk of aflatoxin infection.

3. Pay attention to cleanliness and hygiene. Chopsticks, cutting boards, and other kitchen utensils should be cleaned in a timely manner, and regularly replaced to prevent the growth of bacteria and give opportunities for aflatoxin.

4. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, and supplement with chlorophyll. Research has shown that chlorophyll can reduce the absorption rate of aflatoxin B1 in the human body.

Aflatoxin "cannot be provoked, can be avoided", in order to reduce the risk of aflatoxin poisoning, we need to manage the "grain bag" well. In addition, when purchasing foods such as peanuts and corn, one should have a pair of sharp eyes and learn to distinguish whether the food has spoiled or become moldy, in order to avoid accidentally consuming foods containing aflatoxin and causing poisoning.