How to prevent fumonisin poisoning in summer?

How to prevent fumonisin poisoning in summer?

Zhang Xiaojuan, Zhao Yingying, Shi Xuexiu, Sun Tongwen (The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University)

In summer, southerners like to eat rice noodle rolls, rice noodles, and rice noodles, northerners like to eat sour soup, and people in the Central Plains like rice noodles and cold noodles. In recent years, there have been many cases of fumonisin poisoning. Food poisoning caused by fumonisin occurs frequently and has a high mortality rate. Therefore, we will popularize the definition, hazards, and symptoms of fumonisin poisoning, as well as how to correctly prevent fumonisin poisoning in daily life.

Introduction of fumonisin:

Fumonisic acid is a toxic metabolite produced by Pseudomonas cerebrovenenans that can cause food poisoning and death. It is extremely heat-resistant and cannot be destroyed by boiling water at 100°C or high-pressure steaming. It is the main cause of food poisoning. Foods that may contain fumonisic acid include southern rice noodles, rice noodle rolls, rice noodles (rice vermicelli), rice vermicelli, rice dumplings, vinegar jelly, northern sour soup, stinky rice cha, Gege beans and other fermented cereal products, cold noodles, coconut milk products, potato noodles, sweet potato starch, taro starch, and spoiled black fungus and white fungus.

The hazards and poisoning symptoms of fumonisin:

Fumonisic acid mainly inhibits the adenine nucleotide transporter in the mitochondrial membrane, blocks the exchange of adenosine diphosphate and adenosine triphosphate in the inner membrane of the mitochondria, reduces ATP production, blocks aerobic respiration, and affects the metabolic process. Fumonisic acid can also inactivate some sulfhydryl enzymes and promote cell apoptosis. Symptoms of poisoning appear 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating spoiled food. Early symptoms of poisoning include nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, dizziness, general weakness, etc. Late severe poisoning manifests as damage or even failure of organs such as the liver, kidneys, and brain, such as jaundice, oliguria, bleeding, unconsciousness, convulsions, twitching, shock, and even death.

How to prevent fumonisin poisoning in daily life:

The best way to prevent rice fermentation acid poisoning is to strengthen food safety publicity and education, improve consumers' food safety awareness, do not buy food without a production date, and eat grain products rich in water, such as cold noodles and rice noodles, on the same day. At the same time, pay attention to the following during food production: First, do not use moldy rice, noodles, corn and other raw materials; Second, change the water frequently when soaking cereals to keep them clean and free of odor. If you find red, yellow-green, black and other mold spots on the fermenting rice and flour, discard them and do not eat them; Third, dry the cereals in time after grinding and drying them into powder; Fourth, the storage environment should be ventilated and moisture-proof, pollution-proof, and avoid direct sunlight; Fifth, clean the surface of black fungus and white fungus, soak them in a clean container and water, do not soak them overnight, and eat them in time. If you find that the ear pieces are sticky, soft, not tough or have a peculiar smell, discard them.

Diagnosis and treatment of fumonisin poisoning:

If the patient has an acute onset, with gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea as early manifestations, and multiple organ dysfunction such as the liver, kidney, heart, and brain rapidly develops; combined with the consumption of suspicious foods within 24 hours before the onset of the disease and laboratory results (liver and kidney function, coagulation function, and myocardial enzymes), which may be accompanied by cerebral edema on head CT scan, fumonisin poisoning is highly suspected, and a clear diagnosis can be made after blood and urine samples are quickly sent for testing to measure the fumonisin concentration.

There is no specific antidote for fumonisin poisoning. For the poisoned patients and those who have eaten the same food but have not developed the disease, timely induce vomiting, gastric lavage, and bowel cleansing are performed, and symptomatic treatment is given according to the severity of the symptoms. For example, artificial liver treatment can be given for liver failure, dialysis can be performed for kidney failure, and blood transfusion can be used to correct coagulation function. Once poisoning occurs, the mortality rate is as high as more than 40%, and the mortality rate and recovery are closely related to the amount of toxins ingested.