INITIATIVES ON
AFLATOXIN CONTROL
/RWANDA
PRESENTED BY
Mr. MUKUNZI Antoine, Director
Testing Labs/RBS
INTRODUCTION
Agriculture employs over 80% of the
population, contributes 34% to the
GDP, and is the main earner of foreign
exchange in Rwanda.
 Because of this important economic
role, the agriculture sector holds a
strategic
position
within
the
Government of Rwanda’s (GOR)

INTRODUCTION
Medium and long-term goals as
outlined in the Vision 2020 and EDPRS
 Due to that the Government of Rwanda
(GOR) has clearly prioritized the
development of the agriculture sector as
a means of reducing poverty, which is
predominantly focused in the rural
areas, and of driving economic growth.
INTRODUCTION

With the success of the Crop
Intensification Program (CIP) that was
implemented in 2007, increases in crop
yields resulted in unanticipated
surpluses in key staple grains and
cereals. To better address the issues of
post-harvest loss resulting from the lack
of capacity in post-harvest handling and
storage,
INITIATIVES
 The
Post-Harvest Task Force was
established in 2009.
 The Post-Harvest Task Force aims to
maximize net profits for smallholder
farmers and reduce food insecurity by
strengthening staple crop value chains
and reducing post-harvest losses.
INITIATIVES
 Reduce
staple crop post-harvest losses
at producer and first aggregator level
I.
Build RAB Post-Harvest Team
capacity,
II.
Identify and prioritize economically
relevant post-harvest technology,
III. Disseminate and promote the uptake
of technology, Reduce post-harvest
losses
INITIATIVES
 Rwanda
Bureau of Standards (RBS)
was established in 2002 as the only
body with powers to define and
possess national standards and
 Most of food Standards were declared
and as mandatory.
INITIATIVES
 The
Government of Rwanda is
currently reforming RBS; to make it
more efficient, RBS will focus on nonregulatory functions

Inspections will go to a separate
Agency; National Inspectorate and
Competition Authority (NICA)
INITIATIVES
 RBS



has the following responsibilities:
Development and publication of
national food standards
Harmonization of Rwanda standards
with regional and international
standards,
Dissemination of information on
standards and technical regulations
INITIATIVES




Import
inspection,
market
surveillance
and
industrial
inspection
Testing and Metrology services
Certification services
Aflatoxins testing is mandatory for
all
industries
applying
for
certification
INITIATIVES
 Rwanda
uses the EAC harmonized
standards
for cereals and cereal
products is:
I.
5ppb for Aflatoxins B1, 10 ppb for
total Aflatoxins,
II.
2 ppm for fumonisin
III. And moisture content at 13.5 to
14%
INITIATIVES
 RBS
has the necessary testing
equipment for wide range of
mycotoxins:
I.
HPTLC
(TLC
Scanner
3)
automated developing chamber
II.
HPLC with fluorescent detector
III. LC-QQQ for testing of more
mycotoxin at low detection limit
and metabolites
HPTLC IN RBS LABS
 Rwanda participates in FAPAS; UKAS accredited
Proficiency Testing Scheme Provider
INITIATIVES
 In
partisanship with International
Institute of Tropical Agriculture
(IITA), supported by USAID,
 We are undertaking the project on
quantifying the problem in maize and
cassava in households and markets,
and
sensitization
of
targeted
stakeholders based on a cost-benefit
analysis”



INITIATIVES
Objectives:
Quantify key mycotoxin in maize
and cassava in rural households and
markets
Sensitize stakeholders in Rwanda
about occurrence of key mycotoxins
mechanisms
INITIATIVES
 Objectives
(Cont):
 Establish a prevalence database that
can guide mycotoxin risk assessment
and risk mapping activities in the
country and hence strengthen standards
and regulation
INITIATIVES
 The
first batch of samples have been
collected and submitted to BOKU-IFA
for analysis by applying an LCMS/MS based multi-analyte method
 The results of the analysis of multiple
mycotoxins and fungal metabolites in
109 cassava and 117 maize samples
were received
INITIATIVES
 Another
duty within this project is the
transfer of know-how on LC-MS-based
mycotoxin analysis to the RBS.
I.
Laboratory analyst went to BOKUIFA and got trained on LCQQQ
method
II.
Currently the BOKU-IFA expert is
in RBS to assist in LCQQQ method
development
GAPS TO BE ADDRESSED
 More
support to complement the IITA
USAID project , 500 samples taken are
very few for whole country and cover
other commodities.
 Need
for more research to establish
standards levels based on country and
regional problems
GAPS TO BE ADDRESSED
 Set
up of regional intercomparisons
schemes because FAPAS is expensive

Development of Maximum Limits
(MLs) for other mycotoxins
 Support
in equipment maintenance,
troubleshooting and waste disposal
Thank
You for your
kind attention!