The
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) country representative, Perpetua Katepa
Kalala, has pointed out that Aflatoxin poses a significant threat to food and
economic security, and undermines poverty eradication in Africa and around the
world.
She
made this remark while delivering a statement on the opening day of Aflatoxin
mitigation business meeting, held recently at the Kairaba Beach Hotel.
The
meeting was organised by Food Safety and Quality Authority in partnership with
Aflatoxin Control in Africa, which was a dedicated programme under the
department of Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission.
According
to the FAO country representative, Aflatoxin is a major cause of post-harvest
losses that further constrains the amount of food that reaches markets; thus
reducing revenues and profits from domestic, regional and international trade.
She
also quoted FAO estimates that 25 per cent of world food crops are affected.
According
to WHO-2011, Aflatoxin contamination leads to a 64 per cent reduction in food
quality, and also poses a major public health challenge to consumers all over
Africa.
According
to the FAO official, since the discovery of the Aflatoxin in the 1960s,
regulations have been established in many countries to protect consumers from
the harmful effects of mycotoxins that may contaminate foodstuffs, as well as
to ensure fair practices in food trade.
She
indicated that Aflatoxin is a highly toxic chemical poison produced by some
species of fungi.
These
fungi could colonise a wide variety of food commodities, including groundnuts,
maize, sorghum, rice, millet, spices, nuts and dried fruits.
Aflatoxin thus constitutes a significant food
safety risk.
She
also stated that exposure to aflatoxin is widespread, primarily through the
ingestion of contaminated food. The
hazards associated with aflatoxin exposure include liver cancer, nutritional
interference and suppression of the immune system.
According
to her, in The Gambia, the National Aflatoxin Control Action and investment
plan noted that extensive research efforts have documented high liver cancer
incidence resulting from largely hepatits B virus infections, and also from lifetime dietary
aflatoxin exposure, as well as hepatitis C virus infections.
Regarding
the food crop side, The Gambia depended on groundnuts as its major export crop
constituting approximately 66 per cent of the earnings from agricultural
exports.
She
also added that Aflatoxin contamination of groundnut crops is a major challenge
facing the groundnut sub-sector, apart from its serious health hazards.
The
European Union (EU) was the most important market for Gambian groundnuts, but
the imposition of strict aflatoxin standards has effectively restricted entry
of The Gambia groundnut consignments to the EU.
This
has resulted in a significant foreign income loss to the country, she said.
The
priority that government is placing on controlling aflatoxin contamination is
thus important on health, economic and trade basis.
Regarding
challenges, the FOA country representation said one of the challenges in
Aflatoxin control is the difficulty of coming up with a sampling plan, which
could allow them to be confident that the sample size is representative of the
defined lot or field.
She
commended the food safety and quality authority for their leadership in The
Gambia’s efforts in aflatoxin control.
“I
am confident that the steps taken by them and partners will bear important
fruits,” she added.