## 6 Discussion  
Data provided in Table 2 indicate a general contamination of all food chains. Not only cereals (maize, rice, and sorghum), tubers (cassava), vegetables and fruits (African mango), beans, soybeans, spices and aromatic herbs regularly used in the kitchen (_Aframomum melegueta_, onion sauvage, Njansang, Noix de muscade, quatre cotes, and white pepper), nuts (groundnuts and peanuts), coffee and cocoa, oils, food from animal origins (eggs, cow milk), and fish (tilapia, kanga, carp, and catfish) but also ready-to-eat meals based on maize (e.g., futru) are contaminated. Fumonisi B1 had been detected in a number of food items (maize, maize-based dishes, beans, traditional sorghum beer, spices, and poultry feeds); the concentration varied enormously within and between food groups. Levels up to 26,000 \(\mathrm{\SIUnitSymbolMicro g}\)/kg have been found in maize [19; 38]. OTA is the most commonly found OT in foods--both raw and processed--and is the most dangerous in terms of toxicity. Ochratoxin contamination has been found in dried foods, including nuts, beans, fruits, and fish. It can infect wheat and barley crops, and it has also been found in poultry and pork meat [5]. OTA is present in rice, cocoa beans, coffee (Arabica and Robusta), green coffee beans, fresh cassava, and pepper with the highest level found in Arabica coffee (124 \(\mathrm{\SIUnitSymbolMicro g}\)/kg). Deoxynivalenol, also known as vomitoxin due to its strong emetic effects after consumption, is the most common contaminant of grains and their products. One of the most important physicochemical properties of DON is its ability to withstand high temperatures [49]. Food-producing animals are exposed to mycotoxins through contaminated feeds [50]. Since foods of animal origin are poorly perceived as at risk of contamination, in some cases, feed is not  
Figure 4: Drying pepper in sunlight (Njombe, Cameroon). Figure 5: Mature green and red pepper collected in reused plastic bags (Njombe, Cameroon). properly stored and could result in mycotoxin contamination [47]. The most important mycotoxins in feed ingredients in terms of risk to fish and consumers are AFB1, DON, nivalenol (NIV), ZEN, OTA, T-2 toxin (T2), FB1, moniliformin (MON), enniatins (ENNs), and beauvericin (BEA) [51]. Their hazard index could not be estimated because of an absence of suitable maximum regulated limits. The application of usual operations (cleaning, sorting, and milling) and thermal processes can decrease carry-over of mycotoxins from feed to animals [5]. Based on available evidence, foods of animal origins appear to be less contaminated. However, for example, since aquaculture is expected to continue growing in Cameroon, controlling mycotoxins in fish feedings and fish is important. Fish contamination by mycotoxins influences animal well-being, growth, health, as well as nutritional quality for human consumption [52]. Indeed, in the modern concept of zoonosis, exposure to toxicants through foods of animal origin is a well-established issue [53; 54]. Mycotoxins negatively affect food safety, food security, and nutrition in sub-Saharan Africa [55], and the changing climate may increase the burden of mycotoxins in feeds and foods [34]. An increasing collection of evidence (e.g., photos and videos characterizing points of particular attention in food chains) can improve awareness of previously unrecognized/overlooked real-life risk scenarios and allow communities to define their specific risk scenarios, prioritize their risks, properly address available resources, and ultimately make their science-informed choice [55]. With an increase in funding for scientific research and infrastructure, formal risk assessment based on evidence will enforce regulations and standards to control mycotoxins in food. For sure, good agricultural and manufacturing practices from field to consumer [56] are crucial. Sampling is also very important to provide a representative sample, and many sampling procedures exit based on statistical parameters related to consumer safety [57].