Egerton University has joined a partnership with Bill and Melinda Gates to set a research project with the aim of reducing aflatoxin contamination in the production of good quality cereals.
While addressing journalists in his office at the department of Bio-Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Dr Meshack Obonyo who is a senior lecturer at the department and also in charge of the project, termed aflatoxin as a serious threat to food security in the country.
"Cereals like maize remain important in the country which, unfortunately due to their regular consumption, increase the risk of exposure to aflatoxin" he said.
"Consumption of contaminated maize also causes serious health conditions such as liver damage, stunted growth, and supressed immunity," Obonyo added.
According to him, the research project will attempt to control the quality of maize consumed to minimize the chances of aflatoxicosis complication.
"We will first obtain information on the seasonal prevalence of the toxin-producing fungi types, as well as, the levels of aflatoxins in the two planting seasons before we can come up with any intervention but first we will have to control maize consumption at the point of delivery to the major millers and other organisations like the National Cereals and Produce Board," he said.
Obonyo, however, says Kenya is not the only country affected by aflatoxin while quoting the World Food Organization (FAO) statistics that say 25 percent of the world’s food crops are affected by aflatoxin.
He, however, remained confident that aflatoxin could be reduced to safer levels despite the difficulties in eradicating it.