Health-centric information and moisture management for the adoption of postharvest practices to reduce mycotoxin risk: evidence from black pepper farmers in Sri Lanka.

In 30 seconds

This randomized controlled trial examined whether health-centric information and moisture-management interventions, alongside general mycotoxin information and government training, changed postharvest practices among 810 black pepper farmers in Matale District, Sri Lanka. The health-information bundle significantly increased adoption of all key quality-improvement practices, including fresh and dry grading, blanching, and storage, while reducing unsafe threshing and drying practices. The moisture-management bundle had more limited effects, mainly on blanching and storage. The study assessed practices expected to reduce mycotoxin risk; it did not report measured changes in mycotoxin levels or consumer health outcomes.

Key findings

• The health-centric information bundle significantly improved adoption of all key postharvest quality-improvement practices.
• Farmers receiving the health-information bundle reduced unsafe practices, including barefoot threshing and drying pepper on bare floors.
• The moisture-management bundle had limited effects, primarily on blanching and storage.

Why it matters

Postharvest handling is relevant to food safety because practices that improve spice quality are expected to reduce mycotoxin risk. The trial suggests that information framed around health may encourage a broader range of safer practices than a moisture-management emphasis alone. This offers evidence about how farmer training and information can support risk-reduction efforts, while the outcomes reported concern practice adoption rather than demonstrated reductions in contamination or illness.

What to keep in mind

The reported outcomes were adoption of postharvest practices; the abstract does not report measured mycotoxin levels or consumer health outcomes.