Scientists have come up with Aflatoxin sampling procedures aimed at facilitating effective regional trade for unprocessed maize and groundnuts in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) regional bloc, a statement emailed to Xinhua on Wednesday said.
The move is aimed at combating the spread of Aflatoxin, a poisonous strain of the fungus species transmitted through consumption of grain.
“Aware of the rising threat to consumer health and intra-trade, COMESA has entered into strategic partnerships to harmonize Aflatoxin control measures and improve the regulatory environment for Aflatoxin control in its member states,” the statement said.
The development of the draft Aflatoxin protocols was supported by the United States Department for Agriculture-Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA-FAS) in consultation with COMESA, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the African Agriculture Technology Foundation (IITA) and the research scientists working on Aflatoxin, it added.
According to the statement, the proposed sampling protocol addresses the optimum size, the conditions and frequency of sampling grain destined for regional markets and that it will minimize the risks of misclassifying commodities, while enhancing he effective removal of contaminated commodities from supply chains in eastern and southern Africa.
Zambia, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Rwanda and Madagascar are the most affected countries within the regional bloc as a result of the grain fungus.
About 40 experts attended a two-day sampling and testing Aflatoxin workshop in the Tanzanian capital of Dar-es-Salaam on Monday and Tuesday this week with the aim of reviewing the proposed sampling protocols and build consensus on the national maximum tolerance limits for Aflatoxin in maize and groundnuts.
The protocols will enable ease movement of products within the regional bloc and ensure domestic food safety given that 60 to 80 percent of the affected commodities are used in informal trade and on-farm consumption.
According to World Bank studies, 25 percent of world food crops are affected by Aflatoxin contamination. The estimated loss to African food exporters of cereals, dried fruit and nuts from attempting to meet the European Union Aflatoxin standards is about 670 million U.S. dollars, according to the statement. Enditem
Source: Xinhua
