Aflatoxin in Food: What Role for Biotechnology? - OFAB

Answer: In my view the problem is not only in Eastern province alone. However, the reason for
such a situation might be the fact that donor agencies such as Red Cross supply large quantities
of cereals in Eastern province while the province has no proper systems to handle storage of
seeds. In Rift Valley where seed storage systems are working quite well, farmers don’t know
where to take their maize since they have harvested much surplus this season. This allows
thinking that Aflatoxin is also extending in other areas of the country.
4. Question: It was found out that private companies find high levels of Aflatoxin in food and
feed and yet national regulatory agencies find less. Also, other than maize, contamination by
Aflatoxin has been reported in sorghum in Rift Valley province. Could you please comment on
this
Answer: It is of concern that most of the products on the supermarket’s shelves might be
infected by Aflatoxin. It’s not only in maize or in sorghum as you said.
For detection, we should recognize that in our countries we have limited resources and we use
outdated machinery for detection. KEBS and other regulatory agencies need more support to
improve standards of control such as the ones used in Europe.
Contribution from Dr Charity Mutegi, KARI-ICRISAT:
On partnership: I think that this forum can help us to get linkages and work together. At KARI
for example, we have a mandate to research but we are to link up with others.
On Concentration of Aflatoxin in Eastern Province: Aspegillus is believed to be prevalent in
Eastern.In addition, media reports point out that even in Kitale and Bungoma are affected but
larger number of fatalities are reported more in eastern. However, we should bear in mind that if
Aflatoxins leading to Acute Poisoning or death is reported more, while it is important to know
that Chronic Poisoning which does not show directly is another reality.
In addition to that, it is important to know that aflatoxin does not occur in isolation. It combines
with others mycotoxins, whereby the need therefore, as researchers, to look at mycotoxins
holistically.
On Aflatoxin detection: Monitoring and regulation is a big problem in our country because most
of the agriculturalists are small scale farmers, who do not necessarily come into contact with
regulatory agencies so that their crops can be tested. This implies that KEBS, for example, tests a
very small percentage of the national crop. The porosity of our borders with other countries also
implies that the origin the Aflatoxin infection cannot be attributed solely to Kenyan crops.
During crop testing, in research, expensive methods are used. The local regulatory agencies
cannot use the same for routine tests. They mostly use rapid tests which allow high tolerance
levels of aflatoxin.
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