Experts have called for stronger controls at the source of Kenya’s maize value chain to prevent aflatoxin-contaminated grain from reaching millers and consumers, saying food safety requires action from the farm through storage, transport, and processing.
The experts said that although millers conduct tests on grain received at their facilities, contamination can occur much earlier in the food chain, particularly when maize is poorly dried or stored under conditions that encourage mould growth.
Speaking in Nairobi on Wednesday during a media engagement on food safety and nutrition, experts from the milling and nutrition sectors said farmers, aggregators, transporters, millers, retailers, and other actors all have a role to play in preventing contaminated food from reaching consumers.
TechnoServe Food Processing Specialist Anthony Etiang, who took participants through the milling process, said grain undergoes inspection and laboratory testing before it is accepted into a milling facility.
He said key checks at reception include moisture content and aflatoxin contamination, with grain that fails the required quality checks rejected before entering the milling process.
Etiang explained that the process involves sampling grain, cleaning it to remove foreign materials, conditioning it, milling and sifting it before the flour undergoes fortification, packaging and distribution.
He said mills use quality-control measures throughout the process, including sampling, laboratory testing, calibrated fortification equipment, hygiene controls, and traceability systems.
The controls are intended to ensure that flour released to the market meets required food-safety and quality standards.
The experts, however, said preventing contamination at the mill alone is not sufficient because aflatoxin can develop before maize reaches the processing plant.
They called for stronger measures at farm and storage levels, including proper drying and storage of maize to reduce the conditions that encourage mould growth.
During the question-and-answer session, the experts said responsibility for contaminated food should be established according to where contamination occurred along the value chain.
They explained that poor drying by farmers, improper storage by aggregators or retailers, or failure to act on contaminated grain at another stage could each create different points of responsibility.
They also raised concern over the possibility of rejected grain entering informal markets after being turned away by formal processors, calling for stronger systems to ensure grain rejected for safety reasons does not find its way back to consumers.
Kenya’s standards set the maximum level of total aflatoxins in milled maize products at 10 micrograms per kilogramme (10 parts per billion).
The experts also stressed the importance of food fortification in addressing micronutrient deficiencies, saying commonly consumed foods can be used as vehicles for delivering essential vitamins and minerals to the population.
Mildred Maingi, a Public Health and Nutrition expert, while discussing the transition from safe food to nutritious food, highlighted the importance of iodised salt in preventing iodine-deficiency disorders and said consumers should avoid unfortified salt.
She explained the importance of folic acid, particularly before and during early pregnancy, noting that neural tube development occurs early in pregnancy and that adequate folate levels are important in reducing the risk of neural tube defects.
According to the Ministry of Health, Kenya has made significant progress in food fortification, with the programme dating back to salt iodization in the early 1970s. Mandatory fortification was later extended to packaged maize flour, wheat flour, and edible fats and oils.
The Ministry says mandatory fortification of packaged maize and wheat flour and edible fats and oils was legislated in 2012, with the regulations subsequently revised in 2015.
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Director of Research and Innovation Dr. Peter Kahenya said fortification is designed to add specified vitamins and minerals to commonly consumed foods without requiring major changes in people’s normal eating habits.
He said fortification complements other nutrition interventions such as supplementation, dietary diversification, and biofortification.
The Ministry of Health reports that Kenya’s prevalence of childhood stunting declined from 26 per cent in 2014 to about 18 per cent in 2022. It also reports that 99.6 per cent of households were consuming adequately iodised salt.
The experts said continued public education is necessary to help consumers understand food safety and fortification requirements and make informed choices.
They also urged continued collaboration between government agencies, food processors, farmers, the media, and other actors in the food chain to strengthen food safety and nutrition outcomes.
The engagement underscored the need for food safety and nutrition to be addressed together, with prevention of contamination complemented by measures that ensure foods reaching consumers provide adequate nutritional value.
By Emmanuel Mwendwa and John Brighton
