Food Research Institute denies Kenkey cancer story

Dr. W. A. Plahar, a food scientist, has described a publication attributed to him that Kenkey, Fufu and Gari can cause cancer as untrue and alarmist. He said aflatoxin, a cancer causing agent, which infects grains that are not properly dried before storage is real but that there is no empirical evidence based on a research in Ghana to definitely establish a direct link of an incidence of cancer to any particular food.

"The report was only meant to arouse the awareness of the relevant institutions to embark on the necessary steps to avoid a large scale aflatoxins problem with grains produced in the country." He said Fufu and Gari should not have been mentioned at all since the two are not prepared from grains.

Dr Plahar said "No aflatoxin has ever been determined in fufu or gari in our laboratories and I have never come across any such report in the literature on the subject." Dr Plahar said aflatoxins were discovered in the early sixties and not three years ago as was said in the publication.

He denied having said that aflatoxin might be the cause of many cancer cases recorded at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in the past few months. " We have no reports and we are not in position to determine the causes of any form of cancer, much less specifically relate the consumption of certain aflatoxin-contaminated foods to cancer-related deaths."

Dr Plahar said Ghanaian staple foods are safe under the current steps being taken by relevant organizations to ensure good post-harvest management practices. He disclosed that the Food Research Institute has one of the finest aflatoxin detection laboratories in the country and called on all relevant bodies to avail themselves of their services.