Study of an Educational Hand Sorting Intervention for Reducing Aflatoxin B₁ in Groundnuts in Rural Gambia

Aflatoxin, a human liver carcinogen, frequently contaminates groundnuts, maize, rice, and other grains, especially in Africa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention that involved training rural Gambian women on how to identify and remove moldy groundnuts to reduce aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) contamination. In total, 25 women, recruited from the West Kiang region of The Gambia, were trained on how to recognize and remove moldy groundnuts. Market-purchased groundnuts were hand sorted by the women. Groundnuts were sampled at baseline (n =5), after hand sorting (“clean,” n =25 and “moldy,” n =25), and after roasting (n =5). All samples were analyzed for AFB₁ by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A reduction of 42.9% was achieved based on the median AFB₁ levels at baseline and after hand sorting (clean groundnuts), whereas an alternative estimate, based on the total AFB₁ in moldy and clean groundnuts, indicated a reduction of 96.7%, with a loss of only 2% of the groundnuts. By roasting the already clean sorted groundnuts, the AFB₁ reduction achieved (based on median levels) was 39.3%. This educational intervention on how to identify and remove moldy groundnuts was simple and effective in reducing AFB₁ contamination.