New research conducted by a team of food technology and nutrition lecturers and researchers at Makerere University shows that approximately 1.85 million low-income Kampala residents are unknowingly exposed to the dangers of toxins. These toxins are produced by certain fungi in crops such as corn, peanuts, cottonseed and tree nuts and are called aflatoxins.
According to the United Nations’ World Urbanization Prospects, Kampala’s urban agglomeration and nearby suburbs are home to 3.7 million residents, many of whom live on less than a dollar a day.
For these families on tight budgets, survival depends on low-cost cereals and legumes. However, the affordability that makes these foods a lifeline also exposes them to the dangers of aflatoxins.
These foods are mainly purchased from retail stores and open markets, especially corn and peanuts, which are susceptible to contamination by mold and aflatoxins.
Research shows that limited budgets force families to ration their meager incomes and buy this food only once or twice a week.
“These staple crops are mainly sourced from urban markets that do not have adequate handling and storage systems, which exposes them to adverse environmental conditions such as rain, high humidity and insect infestation, thereby promoting fungal growth and subsequent Aflatoxin contamination.”
Due to their affordability, plastic containers commonly used for storage inadvertently serve as breeding grounds for aflatoxins, allowing these toxins to flourish in stored grains and nuts. It doesn’t help matters that daily consumption of corn and peanuts has reached alarming levels, especially among children and mothers struggling financially.
Children, in particular, consume staggering amounts of corn and peanuts every day – 128.7 grams and 189.9 grams. This emergence is not a choice but an necessity driven by economic constraints, placing these vulnerable groups at the forefront of the aflatoxin crisis.
“The majority of household heads are in low-income occupations, with 35% earning less than US$1 (Sh3,700) per day,” the nutrition study said.
Aflatoxin is not only a local problem but also a global challenge. These hidden toxins have been linked to liver cancer in adults, growth delays in children, and potential weakening of the immune system. In severe cases, they can lead to death, as witnessed by the tragic outbreak of aflatoxin poisoning in Kenya in 2004.
In addition to health, aflatoxin contamination has far-reaching economic consequences. In areas with strict regulations, crops with excessive aflatoxin levels cannot be traded, resulting in reduced income for farmers and traders.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a blueprint for a better world, with food security, nutrition and health as central principles, especially the second and third SDGs.
Access to safe and nutritious food is critical to achieving these goals. Unfortunately, mycotoxins, especially aflatoxin, in major staples such as maize and groundnuts pose a challenge to achieving these global goals, casting a pall on Uganda’s food security journey.
Research points out that the sources of this dangerous contamination in staple foods are diverse. Substandard storage and handling practices, environmental factors such as humidity, and lax regulatory standards.
Previous investigations into aflatoxin contamination in Ugandan markets in 2006 and 2016 consistently found that maize and groundnuts in Kampala markets exceeded acceptable aflatoxin limits set by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS). However, until now, the full extent of this silent exposure and its health risks were unknown.
This prompted five researchers to conduct a study aimed at shedding light on this murky territory, focusing on two districts in Kampala: Rubaga and Nakawa, which are located in the semi-urban area with a population of about 3.7 million people. ized areas.
“This study considered Kampala Capital City (KCC) as the Kampala Capital Authority 2019 strategic plan classifies most peri-urban residents as low-income earners, relying mainly on dry food staples such as maize, sorghum and groundnuts,” researchers pointed out.
Previous studies have consistently reported high levels of aflatoxin contamination in dry staple foods sold in KCC markets.
Randomly selected parishes and villages within these divisions became the center of this exploration. The aim is to reveal the true extent of aflatoxin exposure. So food samples from 372 households were scrutinized, revealing a distressing 50% aflatoxin exposure rate among the study population.
Laboratory testing at the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering at Makerere University found that the intake of aflatoxins exceeded the daily intake limits recommended by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), especially among children.
“To prevent further fungal growth and subsequent contamination with aflatoxins, the collected food samples were stored at seven degrees Celsius prior to analysis,” the study’s working paper states.
“Two models recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) were used to describe the risk of aflatoxins. These included children (6-59 months) Extent of exposure and risk of primary liver cancer in the population. The study received ethical approval from the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) (Certificate No. UNCST/INV/060),” it added.
The consequences of aflatoxin exposure are far-reaching. Liver cancer cases have emerged in Uganda, with 2,004 new cases and 1,860 deaths in 2020 alone.
The crisis is exacerbated by the long-standing link between aflatoxin and hepatitis B virus infection, with hepatitis B prevalence among Ugandan adults at 4.3%.
The study’s calculations suggest a grim prediction: A significant cancer risk is intrinsically linked to aflatoxin-rich corn and peanut products. This is not a future threat but an ominous cloud hanging over the health and well-being of Kampala residents.
The majority of households in the study population are petty traders, day laborers, taxi drivers, motorcycle riders, civil servants and subsistence farmers.
“Low-income earners are unable to provide adequate and quality food for their families. The only option available is to rely on cheap and low-quality staple foods that are susceptible to aflatoxin contamination,” the study states.
The study noted that its findings “may be just the tip of the iceberg” as KCC residents also consume several other common foods, such as millet, sorghum, dried cassava and milk. Various compound flours have also been reported to be contaminated with high levels of aflatoxin.
“To mitigate aflatoxin-related health risks, the Government of Uganda should work with all stakeholders including Kampala Capital Authority (KCCA), UNBS, local governments and policymakers to develop and implement new proactive strategies , to reduce aflatoxin exposure in the population,” it recommended.
The report added that these interventions could include educating value chain actors, strengthening enforcement of current aflatoxin standards and providing better employment opportunities to improve household income, increase purchasing power and increase household dietary diversity.