The Cereal Millers Association (CMA) in Kenya has raised concern on the increase in the supply of maize that has high levels of aflatoxin.
The association says tests done by their members when receiving this maize have found that the aflatoxin levels are higher than the allowable 10 ppb rate.
“These high aflatoxin levels in maize flour for both human and animal consumption pose a grave threat to the health and wellbeing of Kenyans. We realise that the effects of this threat is silently burdening our healthcare infrastructure and hence the need to address the matter. As such the CMA continues to request the Government agencies to encourage best practices for farmers, increase the use of Aflasafe to promote safe maize, increase testing at our cross border trade points, look at alternative uses of contaminated maize as well as have an elaborate mechanism of following up on the destination of maize rejected by its members. Such efforts among others would ensure that contaminated maize does not end up in the market through other routes,” says CMA in a statement.
The CMA additionally requests that all millers in Kenya to adopt a rigorous code of conduct, strengthen their internal quality systems and use scientifically proven methods of sampling and testing maize. Further, all mills must be audited regularly to ensure that they adhere to food safety regulations so as to help mitigate the exposure and risk of milling contaminated maize thereby ensuring that the flour churned out is safe for human and animal consumption.
