The war on aflatoxins in East Africa is intensifying as member-states of the East African Community (EAC) strategise through regular consultative meetings on how best to surmount the malady in the region.
Aflatoxins are a family of toxins produced by certain fungi which include – but are by no means limited to – ‘Aspergillus flavus’ and ‘Aspergillus parasiticus,’ that are abundant in warm and humid regions across the world. The highly-carcinogenic toxins are mostly found on agricultural crops such as maize, as well as cottonseeds, peanuts, cashew nuts, walnuts, pine nuts, coconuts, almonds, etc.
What with maize being a staple food in the region – and nuts being popular ingestibles for all age groups – aflatoxins are a huge threat to humanity. Hence the concerns and dire need to wipe out aflatoxins in our region and the African continent as a whole…
FoodWorld 