World Food Day 2024: Get to know Kgoale Sebotse Potlako, PhD at University of Johannesburg (South Africa)

27 November 2024

Ensuring the right to food for all requires collective action to tackle hunger and poverty. This means prioritising the production and consumption of diverse, safe and nutritious foods, while building resilience against shocks, vulnerabilities, and stresses.

The academic community plays a crucial role in this mission. Research, data, technology, and innovation can be powerful tools for enhancing food safety and food security, as well as for transforming agrifood systems for a better future and a better life for all.

That’s why UPRISE is taking action by training 11 PhD students under joint EU-AU supervision to become future leaders and food safety ambassadors for Africa. These researchers will play a key role in supporting food safety risk assessment and management to reduce mycotoxin levels, by developing guides, toolkits, early warning systems and microbiome- based innovations.

Get to know Kgoale Sebotse Potlako, PhD at University of Johannesburg (South Africa).

From grain to cup: Safeguarding umqombothi production through risk assessment, value chain analysis, and hazard identification from informal production in South Africa, with a focus on mycotoxins

Kgoale’s research scope includes a complete value chain analysis of umqombothi, which examines each stage from raw material sourcing to end product use. The informal production system, which is commonly used in rural and peri-urban regions, lacks official regulatory monitoring, making it especially prone to food safety concerns. By mapping the full value chain, the study hopes to discover information gaps, handling procedures, and storage conditions that may increase the risk of mycotoxin contamination. This comprehensive analysis will include close collaboration with farmers, brewers, and consumers to better understand the socioeconomic and environmental factors that influence production practices, with the goal of developing targeted interventions that are both culturally appropriate and economically feasible.

The emphasis is also on identifying potential risks, particularly mycotoxins, which are harmful substances produced by specific species of fungi. These mycotoxins, particularly aflatoxins and fumonisins, are found in cereal grains like maize and sorghum, which are essential ingredients in umqombothi manufacturing. The study will look at the prevalence of mycotoxins from the start of grain production, harvesting, and storage to the brewing process, identifying crucial control points where contamination could occur. This risk evaluation is critical for developing mitigation techniques that can protect the quality and safety of umqombothi.

Finally, the study will focus on creating hazard identification techniques for the informal umqombothi producing sector, with a particular emphasis on detecting and managing mycotoxin hazards. This entails evaluating grains and finished umqombothi products for mycotoxins and other microbial pollutants using both classic laboratory methods and new quick diagnostic technologies. In addition to the scientific side, the study will include educational outreach initiatives for informal producers, increasing awareness about the risks of mycotoxin contamination and advocating best procedures in grain processing and brewing.

Video: Kgoale Sebotse Potlako

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