the health of children and pregnant women, in danger

Several batches of ready-to-eat cereal and legume food distributed free of charge in Sri Lanka to “eradicate malnutrition” have been recalled. Last August, the National Institute of Health Sciences in Kalutara detected the presence of mycotoxins above permitted levels. Among the main causes was the lack of conservation in adequate conditions.

Colombo () – Aflatoxins above permitted levels have been detected in samples of Thriposha – a highly nutritious food distributed free of charge in Sri Lanka – analyzed at the National Institute of Health Sciences in Kalutara, Western province. The carcinogens detected by government officials, mycotoxins produced by fungal species, are among the causes of liver cancer, and develop during cultivation and harvest, especially of cereals such as corn. Thriposha is a triple complementary food that provides energy, protein and micronutrients: a “ready-to-eat” pre-cooked preparation of cereals and legumes that is provided as a main supplement to children and pregnant women in low-income groups.

The Union of Public Health Inspectors (PHI) raised the alarm over a number of Thriposha samples contaminated with aflatoxins, following tests carried out on August 20, in a report dated August 24. The union informed the relevant authorities on August 27 and distribution was stopped on September 6. The withdrawal affected four districts that had Thriposha “about to expire”: Colombo, Gampaha, Puttalam and Kegalle. From Colombo district, 245 out of 451 lots were withdrawn, from Kegalle 202 out of 239 lots were rejected, and from Puttalam 99 out of 250 lots were withdrawn, while a stock of 150 packages were not distributed.

According to officials from the Family Health Bureau (FHB), “Thriposha is useful in meeting nutritional deficiencies that cannot be met by the main diet. For this reason, pregnant women or children with nutritional deficiencies receive two 750 g packets of Thriposha per month free of charge through the national nutrition programme. Consumption of three tablespoons of Thriposha per day, in addition to three main meals, is suitable as a combination of energy, protein and micronutrients, as a “ready-to-eat” cereal-based food provided to promote a healthier nation and eradicate malnutrition.

Deepthi Kularathna, president of Sri Lanka Thriposha Limited, also confirmed at a press conference in Colombo last week that “there was a small quantity with a high level of aflatoxins in some packages of Thriposha”. The main causes of its presence were the lack of polyethylene packaging for some products, the presence of inadequate storage places with favorable agronomic conditions, such as the facilities of the Medical Officer of Health, and the lack of modern silos in industries, as well as small failures in the “system.”

According to sources in the Auditor General’s Department, the causes include “the operational inefficiencies of the factory, lower production”, as well as “the procurement plan and calendar”, which are not properly prepared. Currently, 1.6 million packets of Thriposha are produced per month, in the presence of maize supply constraints, both in import and domestic supply.

Kanishka Bandara and Achala Samarasekara, nutritionists, told that “it is necessary to alert the population taking into account that the fungus seriously endangers the lives of mothers, fetuses and children under five years of age. To be safe for pregnant women and mothers, the level of aflatoxin contamination should not exceed 30 parts per billion. A small contamination in a single corn kernel is enough for aflatoxins to be produced.

«According to the literature of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), aflatoxins are mycotoxins produced by two species of Aspergillus, a fungus, known to be genotoxic and carcinogenic. For maize, which must undergo a selection process or other physical treatment before human consumption or use as an ingredient in food products, the European Commission has set a maximum content of 10 µg/kg for the sum of aflatoxins B1 , B2, G1 and G2”, explain Kanishka and Achala. »Aflatoxin B1 is absorbed in the small intestine and distributed to the liver. Aflatoxins B1, G1 and M1 are carcinogenic when ingested orally through the diet. “Aflatoxins can be present in foods such as peanuts, corn, rice, figs and cocoa beans due to fungal infections developed before and after harvest.”