Aflatoxin sensitization meeting held at Zuarungu

By Godfred A. Polkuu, GNA    

Zuarungu (U/E), May 31, GNA – The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has embarked on a sensitization campaign at Zuarungu, in the Bolgatanga East District, in the Upper East Region to disseminate information on Aflatoxin and provide solution, under the National

Aflatoxin and Sensitization Management (NASAM) Project.

About 500 food processors and farmers in Navrongo, Zuarungu and its environs are targeted in this round of sensitization meetings.

The NASAM project is supported by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and partners, and would catalyze and sustain an inclusive agricultural transformation by improving on food security through increased knowledge about aflatoxin, its impact and management.

The sensitization was done in partnership with the embassy of Mexico in Ghana, the University for Development Studies (UDS), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Farm Radio International, Nestle and the National Steering Committee on Aflatoxin Control.

Mr Derry Dontoh, the Head of Mycotoxin Laboratory of the GSA, in an interview with the media at Zuarungu, explained that, Aflatoxins were a group of chemicals produced by moulds, and had very dangerous health effects when consumed.

“We are here to first of all sensitize people because most people don’t even have any idea that there is something called Aflatoxin, and then try to explain to them what management structures they will have to put in place whilst farming, during transportation of the produce, during harvesting and then finally storage of their produce and even at a point when they are processing.”

He said the NASAM project was launched in April this year, “and the problem keep coming up because a lot of the produce that we send from Ghana to the European Union are rejected, and this is becoming a very hard task because it has given us a lot of lean way to send our produce there because they have high levels of Aflatoxins.”

Mr Dontoh said there was the need to explain to farmers, processors and women groups to know exactly what technique to use to reduce aflatoxin, and emphasized that Aflatoxin cannot be seen by the eye unlike insects that could be seen.

“It is the mould that you can see, even if the moulds are there, it is possible that you may not have aflatoxin, but some of them might not even look mouldy but you will still have aflatoxin contamination on them.”

He said it was the right time to educate members of the public, visit farmers and stakeholders to explain to them the management structures they could put in place to reduce aflatoxins, adding that, aflatoxin could cause liver cancer.

Mr Dontoh mentioned groundnuts, peanuts, sorghum, powdered pepper, melon seeds (agushie), among others as foods most likely to contain aflatoxins, and said “the main commodity of concern is maize, groundnut, sorghum and rice.”

Mr Marcos Moreno, the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Mexico in Ghana, said the project was intended to bring economic development, strengthen food security, empower women and ensure good public health. “These four components are key to develop the white maize production in Ghana.”

GNA

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