Can moldy food induce liver cancer?

In 1960, 100,000 turkeys in the UK suddenly died within a few months. Investigations found that the feed contained peanut powder imported from Brazil. Further investigations found that Brazilian peanuts were contaminated with mold containing aflatoxin. This incident made people realize the carcinogenic effect of aflatoxin.

In my country, liver cancer high-incidence areas (such as Qidong, Jiangsu, and Fusui, Guangxi) have been found to have serious aflatoxin contamination in local food; and in Africa, liver cancer high-incidence areas (such as Uganda), investigations have found that local food (such as corn, etc.) is contaminated with aflatoxin. Therefore, epidemiological research evidence shows that aflatoxin contamination in food is closely related to the occurrence of liver cancer.

Scientists in my country have successfully induced liver cancer in rats by feeding them moldy peanuts and corn, which further proves that moldy food can induce liver cancer. The corn, soybeans, peanuts, etc. we eat are easily contaminated by aflatoxin. Long-term consumption of foods containing this toxin is prone to liver cancer.

Aflatoxin contamination of food can occur in multiple links during harvesting, storage and processing. Therefore, the management of these links should be strengthened, such as the storage environment should be dry and ventilated, and the storage time should not be too long. If aflatoxin contamination or mildew is found in food, it should not be eaten.