AHMEDABAD: It’s not just the factors such as smoking or tobacco consumption that might lead to cancer - it can even be the humble chilli powder in your kitchen.A study conducted by Gujarat Forensic Sciences University (GFSU) on popular chilli powder brands revealed that about half of them had higher level of mycotoxins, proven carcinogens. The study, conducted by assistant professors Jayrajsinh Sarvaiya and Prajesh Prajapati of Institute of Research and Development (IRD) of GFSU, pointed at this factor for high rejection rate for spices from India in a number of western countries.“We are constantly screening various commercial food samples for the presence of aflatoxin , a variant of mycotoxins, to train our students in food forensics. It is really matter of a concern to find half of the top brands of spices, in particular chilli powder, with a high level of either of the two variants of aflatoxin. At the same time, some of the brands were found to be of good quality too,” said Dr Sarvaiya.The team had used LC-MS method for screening mycotoxin in food products, which is considered to be the most advanced method for food forensics. Six brands were taken for the study. While the internationally acceptable limit is 30 parts per billion (ppb), some of the samples were found to have 50 to 100 ppb level. A probable reason could be improper storage of whole chilli by the vendors from whom the raw material is procured.Dr Prajapati mentioned that mycotoxins are produced by specific strains of fungus and enter in food supply chain silently. “Various regulatory authorities of the world, including FSSAI has laid down very strict compliance limit for the presence of mycotoxins in different types of grains, pulses, spices, milk and other food products,” he said.Growth of mycotoxins (literally meaning poisonous fungus) can be prevented through steps such as proper storage of the spices with humidity-free environment and regular on-site investigation of the raw material for any traces of the fungus, said Prasenjit Maity, in-charge director of IRD.“The researchers added that even the feed for cattle should be screened to decrease contamination of aflatoxin M1, which is milk-specific mycotoxin in cow and buffalo milk. Internationally, the tolerance limit is set at 0.1 part per billion (ppb) for the substance,” he said.As per World Health Organization (WHO) report, aflatoxicosis (disease caused by aflatoxins) has resulted in symptoms such as vomiting, anorexia, jaundice , gastrointestinal bleeding and fever in India.

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