Bacterial contamination of sago starch in Papua New Guinea.

Sago starch is an important food in lowland Papua New Guinea. Extraction of the starch from the palm and storage were performed by way of traditional methods that have been used for thousands of years. Currently, very little is known about the microbiology of sago starch. Sago samples were collected from areas of high starch utilization and analyzed for the presence of bacterial pathogens and indicator organisms. Storage methods and duration were recorded at the time of collection, and pH and water activity on arrival at the laboratory. Sago starch was found to harbor high levels of fecal contamination, as well as various food pathogens including Salmonella, Bacillus cereus, and coagulase-positive staphylococci. Clostridium perfringens was only present infrequently in samples and in very low numbers, while Listeria monocytogenes was not isolated from sago starch. The presence of high levels of fecal contamination in sago starch is of particular concern, and may contribute to diarrheal disease in rural Papua New Guinea.

Iodine status of pregnant women in Lae.

Many areas in Papua New Guinea are regarded as endemic for iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). Salt iodization to combat IDD has been a policy of the government since 1973. Its effectiveness in many areas of the country has, however, not been assessed. The iodine status of pregnant women is an indicator of the iodine status of the community. This study was conducted in order to assess the effectiveness of the salt iodization program in Lae. Urine samples from a total of 120 pregnant mothers attending antenatal clinics in different areas in Lae were analysed for iodine content. It was found that 15% of the mothers had urinary iodine values below 10 µg/dL, 11.7% between 5 and 9.9 µg/dL, 0.83% between 2 and 4.9 µg/dL and 2.5% below 2 µg/dL. This indicates that IDD is still a problem in Lae and most certainly in other parts of the country. There is a need for proper monitoring of the iodine content of salt sold in the country and also for strengthening the whole IDD intervention program.

Iodine content of salt in Lae city of Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is among those areas of the world where soils lack iodine. Iodine deficiency leads to a number of disorders including goitre and cretinism. The PNG government has chosen to promote the consumption of adequately iodised salt as one of its intervention programmes to eradicate the iodine deficiency disorders. A study was undertaken to assess the iodine content of salt in the distribution chain in Lae, as well as to assess the per capita salt consumption in the city. It was found that the average salt consumption was 6.59 g/d. However, not all the Lae population were consuming adequately iodised salt. Only 48% of salt samples from one school were adequately iodised. The percentage of wholesale salt samples containing more than the standard 30 p.p.m. iodine increased from 61.5% in 1996 to 90.9% in 1997. The iodine content of the retail samples were 73.5% and 87.1% in 1996 and 1997, respectively. Stricter, sustained and systematic monitoring of the quality of iodised salt procured and distributed in Lae is called for to ensure consumption of adequately iodised salt.