Superior grain safety with designed mycotoxin binding properties

Mycotoxins contamination of food and feeds is a serious problem, resulting in human and livestock poisoning. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries such as Burkina Faso are facing severe food and nutrition insecurity due to low productivity, difficulty adapting to climate change, and low household income. Unfortunately, due to poor governmental control, corruptions and political instability,
grains with high levels of mycotoxins, usually end up in the local markets. Furthermore, families vulnerable to poverty and food insecurity consume grains with high levels of mycotoxins due to lack of choice.

Mycotoxins contamination is a serious problem, resulting in human and livestock poisoning in Sub-Saharan African countries such as Burkina Faso. Unfortunately, due to poor governance, corruptions and political instability, grains with high levels of mycotoxins, usually end up in local markets. Furthermore, families vulnerable to poverty and food insecurity consume grains with mycotoxins due to lack of choice. The Powergrain project is designed to create two pathways aimed at sequestering bioaccessibility of mycotoxins. The first is to enhance the binding of mycotoxin to grain fibres by bioprocessing. The second is to utilize microbial exopolysaccharides produced during bioprocessing to further enhance mycotoxins binding. These pathways are complementary and can be realized in one food processing operation. The collaborative study involving Finland and Burkina Faso will reveal the potential of bioprocessed grain fibres and exopolysaccharides as natural mycotoxin binders.