Rajendra D. Yeole, Bhagwan S. Mali and Sangeeta A. Deshmukh
The survey on Aflatoxin Awareness And Assessment of Pune District of Maharashtra (India), was carried out during the year 2013-14 to create awareness among the people and assessment of it through questionnaire method. A questionnaire of fifteen different questions was prepared. In this survey study, data was collected from twelve different villages of three taluka Baramati, Daund and Indapur of Pune district. Total one hundred twenty six questionnaires sheet were sorted village wise and pulled data information about aflatoxin awareness and assessment is done. Among these twelve villages 85 questionnaires were collected from six villages of Baramati taluka Baramati 14, Dorlewadi 40, Dhekalwadi 19, Jalgaon 6 and 3 each from Malad and Sonawadi. Fifteen questionnaires were collected from four different villages of Daund taluka, Goragade1, Jiregaon 8, and 3 each from Jadhavwadi and Wasunde. Twenty six questionnaires were collected from only two villages Sapkalwadi and Sanjaynagar of Indapur taluka which stands for 15 and 11 questionnaries respectively. Out of 126 individuals answered maximum 57 persons (i.e.45%) were S.S.C., 26 individual (21%) were H.S.C.,15 individual (12%) each were found graduate and post graduate, only 13 individuals i.e. 10 % were belongs to other educational qualifications. In the occupation status it has been observed that 38 i. e. 30% were engaged in service, in business it was16 (13%), in agriculture it was maximum 65 (52%) and least7 (5%) was engaged in other occupation. In the consumption of oil it was found 53 (i. e. 42%) family consumed less than 5 Kg. or 5 Kg. of oil per month and 73 (i. e. 58%) consumed more than 5 Kg. of oil per month. The detailed value of minimum consumption of oil per individual per month is found in between 820 gm to 1 Kg. and for maximum it is 2.870 Kg.The data for family members indicates 66 families 52% are there which have 5 or less than 5 members per family and 60 families 48% have more than 5 members in the family. Maximum families 76 (60%) used soybean oil, 35 families i.e. 28% consumed groundnut, 12 families i.e.10% purchased sunflower oil and only 2% i.e. 3 families found consuming cotton oil. In adulteration of oil out of 126 individuals 60 i.e.48% were aware and remaining 66 i.e.52% individual were unaware about this. They were made aware and insisted them to purchase good quality oil for better health. To know the purchasing level of the individual the data was collected in three categories i.e. branded, local and in loose type of oil purchased by the consumers. It has been observed that 80 families 63% purchased branded company oil, 30 (24%) families utilized local brand oil whereas only 16 families 13% found using loose type of oil. An effort was made to find out the reason behind using branded oil, it has been found that 66 individuals i.e.52% families used it because it is pure and tasty and remaining 60 families 48% have replied for different reasons behind using branded oil. In the reason behind purchasing local company oil 13 individuals (i.e.10%) have answered for getting it cheaper and easily available compared to that of the branded one, the remaining 113 (i.e.90 %) have replied that there are other reasons besides these to purchase local company oil. The information was collected about the physical fitness of the people, it has been observed that among the 126 individuals answered 107 (85%) were found physically sound and 19 i.e.15% were suffering from common problems like stomach aching, leg and body pain, kidney stone ,blood pressure ,backbone problems ,piles, arthritis ,heart and diabetes but no one wasfound suffering from cancer or oncogenic problems. For storing groundnut for domestic purpose data was collected on different types of storing appliances used by the local village people and it has been observed that maximum people 64 (i.e.51%) used plastic gunny bags, 28 (22%) used plastic container, 20 (16%) used aluminium tin to store groundnut pods and remaining only 14 (11% ) individuals used to keep it open temporarily before consumption. The data was collected to know the awareness among the people about aflatoxin it has been observed that out of 126 individual only 18 i.e.14% were aware about the aflatoxin and the remaining 108 i.e.86% were unaware about it. These unaware 86% individuals were made aware about aflatoxin during collecting information at the time of survey conducted. An effort was made to know if the consumer is aware about the toxin, other than aflatoxin for this awareness it is found that out of 126 individuals 40 (32%) have replied yes and remaining 86 (68%) individuals were found unaware, and these 68% unaware individuals were made aware about other toxin during collecting information at the time of survey conducted
