Aflatoxins are highly toxic metabolites produced by the Aspergillus flavus fungus that infects crops like maize and groundnuts. They pose serious health and trade issues in Africa. IITA developed Aflasafe, a biocontrol product containing non-toxic atoxigenic A. flavus strains, to reduce aflatoxin contamination in crops. A pilot plant in Nigeria produces Aflasafe for distribution in multiple African countries. Studies show Aflasafe can reduce aflatoxin levels by 60-96% in crops and its effects last multiple seasons. Upscaling Aflasafe production and adoption by farmers has potential to significantly improve health, trade, and food security in Africa.

1. Date: 15-Oct-2014 www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
DFID Latest Innovations by IITA in Maize and
Groundnut Value chain – aflasafe TM
Lawrence K. Kaptoge
Peter Cotty
Joseph Atehnkeng
Ranajit Bandyopadhyay

2. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium Date: 02 – May - 2013
Out line
• Aflatoxin facts, prevalence in crops and
effects on Human, animal and Trade
• Aflasafe, its development and how it works
• Objectives of the pilot plant
• Large scale manufacture of aflasafe
• Future of aflasafe/ its development in Africa
Date: 15-Oct-2014

3. • Highly toxic metabolite produced
by the ubiquitous Aspergillus
flavus fungus
• The fungus infects crops and
produces the toxin in the field and
in stores
• Fungus carried from field to store
• Contamination possible without
visible signs of the fungus
• Some predisposing factors:
– pre-harvest high temp and
drought stress
– wet conditions at harvest and
post-harvest periods
– insect damage
Aflatoxin Facts

4. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium Date: 02 – May - 2013
Prevalence of Aflatoxins in Food & Feed
• Several African staple commodities affected
• High human exposure in Africa – mother to baby
• Levels and frequency of occurrence high
– >30% maize in stores with >20 ppb aflatoxin
– ~90% stores are contaminated with Afla fungi
– Up to 40% grain in households with aflatoxin
• Concern for food and feed processors, government and
emergency food reserve agencies, school-feeding
• Aflatoxins disproportionately impact the poor
• Highly toxic strains, conducive environmental
conditions, traditional farming methods and improper
grain drying and storage practices, unregulated markets

5. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium Date: 15-Oct-2014
Human and Animal Health Effects
acute
acute hepatic necrosis, cirrhosis,
carcinoma
Death; 200 people in Kenya; 74 in
India
chronic
carcinogenic
stunting in under-fives
anti-nutritional
immune-suppressive
gut integrity?
underreported
unknown 500 ppb AF dietAF-free diet
~40% reduction in live weight (8 weeks)

6. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium Date: 15-Oct-2014
Trade Losses due to Aflatoxins
• Nigeria and Senegal major groundnut
exporters in 1960s. Compliance has
economic incentives
Senegal:
• If aflatoxin levels are reduced, then national
income would increase by
– $281 million through oil cake export
– $45 million through confectionary
groundnut export.
• Best quality exported; poorer quality
consumed domestically.
Peanut
Maize
Coffee
Cocoa
Groundnut Pyramids in
Nigeria during 1960s
Pyramids in Egypt?
World Bank; Mbaye (2004)

7. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
aflasafe and its development
• Aflasafe is a safe and cost-effective
biocontrol product that reduces aflatoxins in
field and stores
• A. flavus occurs naturally & both toxigenic
and atoxigenic.
• Biological control involves introducing
carefully selected harmless atoxigenic
strains, that have large competitive
advantages over toxic strains .
• competitive exclusion - The atoxigenic
strains virtually eliminate the toxic relatives
and therefore considerably reduce aflatoxin
contamination
Date: 15-Oct-2014

8. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium Date: 15-Oct-2014
How aflasafe Works
Broadcast
@ 10 kg/ha 2-3 weeks
before flowering
Sporulation on moist soil
Spores
Insects
3-20
days
Wind
aflasafe
Soil
colonization
30-33 grains m-2
Fungal
network in
killed grain

9. Farmers treating maize and groundnut fields with AflaSafe
MAIZE: Aflatoxin reduction (%)
Stage 2009 2010 2011
Harvest 82 94 83
Storage 92 93 x
PEANUT: Aflatoxin reduction (%)
Stage 2009 2010 2011
Harvest - 95 82
Storage 100 80 x
71% and 52% carry-over of
inoculum 1 & 2 years after
application
Results from 382
on-farm trials

10. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Development, Effectiveness and Safety of
aflasafe
• It was developed by IITA in collaboration with the
Agriculture Research Service of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, University of Bonn, and University of Ibadan.
• More than 4200 strains of Aspergillus species from naturally
infected maize cobs collected in Nigeria were evaluated.
• 12 safe and effective atoxigenic strains were identified, 4 of
which were further tested.
• Aflasafe can reduce aflatoxin concentration by 60-96% in
maize at harvest and in storage.
• The beneficial effect of aflasafe is carried over from one
season to the next
• It is completely safe. There is no possibility of the four
constituent atoxigenic strains in becoming toxigenic.
• IITA has experience of nearly 50 incident-free person-years
of working on aflatoxin biological control technology that
led to the development of aflasafe.
Date: 15-Oct-2014

11. AF36
Aflaguard
Biocontrol
WORKS
In 100’S of
thousands
of acres in
the US!
IT WORKS
In Africa
TOO!
Aflasafe

12. 12
atoxigenic strain manufacturing facility
Arizona Cotton Research & Protection Council, USA
AF36 production in USA

13. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Aflasafe Pilot Plant Objectives
Demonstration-scale plant to be used as a model to:
• Optimize and adapt the manufacturing process
• Reduce aflasafe manufacturing cost
• Turn-key facility for replication in other countries
• Demonstrate commercial viability for mass production
of Aflasafe.
Date: 15-Oct-2014

14. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium Date: 15-Oct-2014
Final Plan
Partition: Labs, Substrate Processing and Packaging/storage of finished product.
Packaging & Finished Product Storage
Wash Rooms
Lab
Grain Intake, Cleaning, Pasteurisation and Storage

15. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium Date: 15-Oct-2014
Aflasafe Pilot Plant
Workers’ Resting Room Inoculum Production Lab
Quality Control Lab
Quality Control Lab & Lab office

16. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium Date: 15-Oct-2014
Aflasafe Pilot Plant
Cooler
Roaster
aflasafe Plant
Aflasafe despatch 2014

17. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium Date: 15-Oct-2014
Aflasafe Pilot Plant
Weighing & Heat Sealing Inoculation & Weighing
Finished Product Storage Final Package – Front & Back

18. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium Date: 15-Oct-2014
Production 2014
• Production of aflasafe for:
• Nigeria – 120 tons
• Senegal – 12 tons
• Zambia – 3 tons
• Mozambique – 1 ton
• Ghana – 1 ton
• Burkina Faso – 2
• Kenya – 2
Inoculum Production

19. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Future and Facts on Aflasafe
• Between 2004-2006, nearly 200 Kenyans died after consuming aflatoxin-
contaminated maize, and in 2010 over 2 million bags of maize were found to
be highly contaminated.
• 99% of infants in Benin and Togo are exposed to aflatoxin-linked health risks.
• Globally, about US$1.2 billion in commerce is lost annually due to aflatoxin
contamination, with African economies losing US$450 million each year.
• IITA has expanded biocontrol research in over 10 countries with products ready
for Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia.
• Adoption of this biocontrol technology with other management practices by
farmers will reduce aflatoxin contamination by more than 70% in maize and
groundnut, increase crop value by at least 25%, and improve the health of
children and women.
• In 2012, G20 leaders launched ‘AgResults’ which includes aflasafe™ as one of
three pilot projects for incentivising adoption of agricultural technologies by the
poor.
• The World Bank estimates that reducing aflatoxin contamination would add
US$281 million annually to Senegalese groundnut exports. Aflasafe-SN01 could
reinstate groundnut exports to the EU lost by Senegal and the Gambia due to
contamination. Source: EIARD by WRENmedia
Date: 15-Oct-2014

20. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium Date: 15-Oct-2014
Aflasafe Development in Africa
www.iita.org
Products ready for registration
Products under testing in farmers’ fields
Strain development in progress
Aflasafe-NigeriaTM
Aflasafe-SenegalTM
Aflasafe-KenyaTM etc…
Senegal
Mali
Burkina
Ghana
Nigeria
Kenya
Tanzania
Mozambique
Zambia

23. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium Date: 02 – May - 2013