Noug Seed Cake Quality and Safety

Abstract

Niger (Guizotia abyssinica) is an oil-seed crop cultivated in the highland areas of Ethiopia. It is known locally as noug, and its seed is a major source of edible oil. The by-product that remains after extraction of oil from noug seed is called noug seed cake and serves as the main protein supplement and as a moderate source of energy for livestock production in Ethiopia. Noug seed cake has a high concentration of protein which varies from 25.2 to 38%. However, its nutritional contents are highly variable depending on the environmental factors, variety of the seed, extraction methods, etc. In addition, different physical, chemical, and biological factors were reported to affect the nutritional quality and feed safety of noug seed cake. A visible fungal growth is an indicative of spoilage of noug seed cake, and noug seed cake contamination and moulding are the main source of aflatoxin contamination. Some of the common malpractices that cause the accumulation of moulds and aflatoxin production in noug seed cake include storage of noug seed cake indoors in plastic bags or on the floor without bags, in bags stacked without aeration, absence of raised platforms and store for longer time. It is therefore very important to protect mycotoxin production and contamination and keep the feeding value of noug seed cake safe. Furthermore, adulteration of noug seed cake with other types of oil seed cakes is also a common feed safety issue. Prevention of noug seed cake aflatoxin contamination and keeping it safe requires an on-going and thorough sampling and testing program and strict adherence to guidelines since its contamination is critical to animal health and productivity and also to public health. This is because animal feed is an essential channel for transmission of contaminants to the human food chain. A key area of attention is awareness creation using different tools such as media outlets, public gatherings, and social medias about the dangers of aflatoxin B1 contamination of noug seed cake and its adverse effects on animals and humans. It is also especially important to strengthen nationwide surveillance, increase frequent feed inspections to ensure feed safety, and to increase local education and assistance to ensure that animal feeds are harvested and processed correctly, dried completely, and stored properly.