KENYA REPORTS AFLATOXIN IN UGALI, MILK and MEAT

Kenya has been mapped as an aflatoxin hotspot, a leading cause of liver cancer, hiding in grains like maize and animal food products.

Findings of a study released last month by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) showed a large amount of milk and grains consumed by Kenyans have aflatoxin levels exceeding internationally accepted limit.

Aflatoxin is a tasteless poison produced by Aspergillus flavus fungus caused by a mould in soil that commonly affect cereals. It is mostly passed to humans through animal food products or direct ingestion of affected crops.

The study dubbed “Measuring and mitigating risk of mycotoxins in maize and dairy products for poor consumers in Kenya” was done from samples of of livestock feeds collected from farmers in five counties.

Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation director general Eliud Kireger however dismissed the report as alarmist, saying that most Kenyans could have died if that was the case

For more info, please visit https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2018/07/07/beware-aflatoxin-in-ugali-milk-and-meat-could-be-killing-you_c1782173

2 2019