Aflatoxins Challenge in Tanzania
Dr. Martin E. Kimanya
Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and
Technology
Regional Workshop on the Aflatoxin Challenge in Eastern and
Southern Africa, Lilongwe-Malawi, 11-13 March 2014
Occurrence aflatoxins in cereal and oil crop harvests
of 1987 and 1988 in Tanzania
Crop
No of
Samples
Maize
472
11.2
52.8
Groundnuts
202
50.0
90.1
Sunflower
seed oil
129
28.6
71.4
ML = 20 µg/kg
Positive
Samples above
samples(%) ML (%)
Occurrence aflatoxins in other foods in Tanzania
• Aflatoxin M1 in cow’s milk, determined in 92%
of samples at levels ranging from 0.005–0.855
µg/kg
• Aflatoxin B1 in Fish, at levels ranging from 7-19
µg/kg
• Aflatoxin B1 in opaque beer, at 10-50 µg/L
Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in breast milk: occurrence,
percentage of the milk exceeding EU MLs
Lactation stage
M1
M3
M5
144
122
121
Range (ng/ml)
0.01 - 0.55
0.01 - 0.47
0.01 - 0.34
Median (ng/ml)
0.07
0.08
0.08
96
91
96
Number of samples
% exceeding 0.025ng/mla
a:
EU limit for AFM1 contamination in
infants food
Prevalence and levels of AF-alb in young
children
Survey point
Prevalence (%)
Mean Level (pg/ml)
Recruitment
67
4.7
6 months after
recruitment
84
12.9
12 months after
recruitment
99
23.5
What are the potential solutions for
aflatoxin control in Tanzania
• The Tanzania performs a country and economic assessment in 2012 with
PACA support
• Tanzanian stakeholders came together at the aflatoxin stakeholders’
workshop (co-organized by TFDA and Abt Associates)
• Actions plans that support adoption of the priority control strategies were
sketched out
• The National Forum for Mycotoxins Control, with a supporting steering
committee
Priority Control Strategies for Agriculture
• Continue to measure, test, and assess the scale of the problem
• Promote and make available good agricultural/management
practices
• Develop bio-control for Tanzania, keeping in mind the cost
implications for poorer farmers
• Continue research efforts for breeding maize, groundnuts, and
other crops for mycotoxin resistance, for availability in the longer
time horizon
Priority Control Strategies for Trade
• Shape the marketplace to improve awareness of the presence and
risks of aflatoxin in the food and feed system and create marketbased incentives for safer food
• Improve the formaulation and application of standards relating to
aflatoxins in domestic markets
• Improve policies and procedures for product withdrawal
• Improve suitability for commerce or trade of susceptible products.
Priority Control Strategies for Public
Health
• Promote proper food handling, processing, and preparation to
reduce mycotoxin contamination
• Achieve universal vaccinations for HBV since liver cancer risk is
30 times higher in HBV-positive populations
• Routinely monitor mycotoxins in cereal-based weaning foods
Priority Control Strategies for Policy
Reform
• Recommend review and finalization of various policies eg. (1)
National Food Security Policy, (2) National Food Safety Policy,
(3) National Nutrition Policy
• Coordinate with relevant ministries and institutions and propose
mycotoxin levels for feed
• Ensure that priority strategies and action plans are included in the
business plans of relevant departments and institutions within line
ministries
Priority Control Strategies for Policy
Reform
• Raise awareness from the community level up to the decision
makers
• Support more research to fill the current gaps in aflatoxin
prevalence
• Develop and agree on a data collection protocol and require that
results from research conducted in Tanzania be shared with the
national government and entered into a centralized database
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