East Africa traders raise concern over toxic maize

By BENARD SANGA

Businessmen in East Africa have raised concerns over increased consumption of aflatoxin-infected grains that pose serious health challenges in the region.

This is what dominated talks at the continental grain summit in Mombasa yesterday.

It emerged that several people had died from ingestion of aflatoxin contaminated food while others were currently suffering from liver cancer and hepatitis.

“Nutritional deficiency results in strange diseases like the nodding disease in northern Uganda. Eating contaminated cereals is a wake-up call,” said Jesca Eriyo, Deputy Secretary General for Productive and Social Sector at the East Africa Secretariat.

Poison

Aflatoxin is a poison produced by a fungus called Aspergillus flavus, which causes liver cancer, suppresses the immune system and retards growth and development in children.

Kenya, with an estimated annual per capita consumption of over 90 per cent of maize, is affected by aflatoxin.

In 2011, the government banned more than 2.3 million bags of maize from small-scale growers because it was contaminated. But it feared some of the maize might have found its way to the market.

“It is believed this same maize was partly consumed by households in the same growing areas. This means families were exposed to the risk of aflatoxin poisoning. There have also been reported cases of pellagra (niacin deficiency) in some parts in the country, mainly the Eastern region, where maize is sometimes eaten predominantly alone,” said the Mexican diplomat.

He said that currently Mexico was promoting a technique that would deter aflatoxin called nixtamlisation.

East African Affairs Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie said grain trade was facing low technology uptake, post-harvest losses, poor grain quality, and market and finance access fragmentation.

“The warehousing system and market information system the council has put in place through introduction of regional agriculture trade intelligence network are beneficial initiatives.”