Loveness K. Nyanga (University of Zimbabwe/Action contre la faim) Roundtable of aflatoxin experts on “Building a multi-stakeholder approach to mitigate aflatoxin contamination of food and feed” Brussels, Monday 25th January 2016

1. Post Harvest Management Technologies for
Reducing Aflatoxin Contamination in Maize
Grain and Exposure to Humans in Zimbabwe
Cultivate Africa’s Future
University of Zimbabwe
Dr. Loveness K. Nyanga
Senior Lecturer and Researcher, University of Zimbabwe
PhD, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
MSC and BSc, University of Zimbabwe

2. Funded under Cultivate Africa’s Future
By

3. Organisations Involved in the research
• Main Players
– University of Zimbabwe, Institute of Food, Nutrition
and Family Sciences (UZ, IFNFS)
– Action Contre la Faim (ACF)
• Third Party
– International Rescue Committee (IRC)
• Government stakeholders
– Ministry of Health and Childcare
– Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation
Development

4. Why are we doing the
research?
 Food Security – quantity and quality
 When all people at all times have access to sufficient,
SAFE, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active
life (World Food Summit, 1996)
 Concerned about people’s health
 Mycotoxins a risk to human health
 Poor storage practices – Better storage facilities
University of Zimbabwe

5. Broad Objective
• To investigate the efficacy of hermetic storage
technology in the reduction of aflatoxin
contamination in maize grain and hence reduction
in exposure to humans to these toxin, in Makoni
and Shamva districts

6. Specific objectives
 To assess knowledge, attitudes and practices with
regard to good pre- and post- harvest management
practices that minimizes mycotoxin contamination in
maize;
 To assess the reduction of aflatoxin B1 and fumonisin
B1 in stored grain from use of different postharvest
storage practices
 To assess the reduction of aflatoxin exposure to
humans including infants in households using

7.  To determine levels of aflatoxins in legumes
(groundnuts, bambaranuts, beans, and cowpeas)
produced by the communities in Shamva and
Makoni districts
 To identify and assess different models for delivery
of post harvest management technologies to
smallholder grain producers; and
Specific objectives continued

8. Ethical Approval
 Study was approved by the Medical research
Council of Zimbabwe (MRCZ)
University of Zimbabwe

9. Study Design
 Randomized Control Trial – 480 Households (Shamva and
Makoni Districts)
 Households with pregnant women and children under five
(0 – 24 months)
 Assigned to treatment grps
 Intervention grp – metal silos and hermetic grain bags
(Hermetic technology)
 Control grp will continue following the conventional storage
practices

11. Study parameters
Main study parameters
 Aflatoxin B1 and Fumonisin B1 in the grains
 Aflatoxin M1 in breast milk and urine samples
 Aflatoxin B-albumin adduct in blood samples
Secondary study parameters
 Anthropometric variables (weight and height,
MUAC)
 Knowledge, attitudes and practices with regard to
pre and post harvest management
 Impact of Hermetic technology on gender

12. Sampling Plan
 Quarterly sampling for 2 years, of the
following:
 Grain – maize and legumes
 Biological samples – urine and breastmilk
 Anthropometric measurements
 IDDS for women and children
 KAP Survey and Gender FGDs
 Baseline
 Midpoint
 Endpoint
University of Zimbabwe

13. Training and awareness campaigns on
mycotoxin management and health risks
 Training
 Agricultural extension officers
 Health workers
 Households
 Awareness campaigns
 Communities
 national
University of Zimbabwe

14. Expected research outputs
 Efficacy of hermetic technologies to reduce aflatoxin
levels in stored grain
 Aflatoxin levels in legumes
 Infants exposure to aflatoxin M1 from breast milk
from mothers
 Association between anthropometric data and levels
of aflatoxins in children under five
 Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of farmers in
managing aflatoxin risks in maize

15.  Household behaviours and perceptions in handling
risks of aflatoxin contamination
 Two masters graduates in Food Science and
Technology
 One masters graduate in Nutrition

16. Expected Developmental outcomes
 Increased adoption of innovative postharvest
technology by farmer communities (women and
men) in Zimbabwe
 Reduction in exposure of infants, women of child
bearing age and all grain consumers to harmful
mycotoxins
 Improved capacity of local artisans and agro-dealers
to supply metal silos and super bags to farmers,
respectively

17.  Increased capacity building - Masters students and
Communities
 Better awareness of government stakeholders,
NGOs and donors in Zimbabwe on the importance of
effective management of aflatoxin contamination on
achieving food security, health and nutrition
outcomes
 Strengthened link between research and policy -
project outcomes can feed into policy
recommendations for aflatoxin management

18. Value added contribution of the
research
 Food and Nutrition Security Policy of Zimbabwe
 to promote food and nutrition security
 Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA)
 provide evidence of intervention impacts on
aflatoxin control
 Zimbabwe’s Agenda for Sustainable Socio-
Economic Transformation (Zim ASSET)
 Food and Nutrition Security Cluster
 Improved proper storage of harvested crops
 Improved availability of quality food
 Mechanisation cluster
 Promotion of metals silos

19. Research Results to date
University of Zimbabwe

20. Trainings done
 AGRITEX extension officers –cascaded the
information to participating farming households
 Topics covered:
 Mycotoxins - Risks, Exposure, Health Impacts
 Pre and Postharvest Practices and Technology Options
 Use and Handling of Hermetic Storage Technologies
 Policy in Zimbabwe regarding mycotoxins

21. Trainings done
 Village Health workers – cascaded the information
to participating farming households
 Topics covered:
 Maternal Nutrition (Pregnant and Breastfeeding)
 Early Initiation of Breastfeeding
 Exclusive Breastfeeding
 Dietary Diversity and Complementary Feeding
 Nutrition in the Lifecycle
 Steps of Behaviour Change
 Aflatoxin: Exposure, dietary sources, management
and prevention

22. Trainings done
 Fabrication of metal silos by local artisans from
Shamva and Makoni districts
 6 artisans per district, who worked together (with technical support
from DAM) to fabricate:
 150 x one-tonne capacity metal silos for the research
participants
 12 x 20kg capacity dummy metal silos for training
demonstrations by AGRITEX
 1 x 50kg metal silo for the university laboratory

23. Trainings done
 Agro dealers
 Proper use and handling of hermetic bags

24. KAP survey Baseline
 A total of 492 research participants were interviewed (92.7%
sample size) from both districts.
 KAP results show that fungal/ mould attack was more
pronounced in the field (40.8%) and during storage (44%). This
was attributed to poor crop management practices in the field
and poor grain management during storage.
 In terms of gender, both male and female members of the
households have collaborative partnerships when carrying out
pre and post-harvest tasks at household level.
 73% of households do not further dry their maize after shelling
and 98.7% apply insecticide to grain as pre-storage treatment.
 35.9% of the respondents were knowledgeable about aflatoxins
that affect maize and legumes.
 In terms of attitude, farmers do not see any harm in consuming
aflatoxin contaminated grain.

25. Laboratory results - baseline
samples
 Assessment of fumonisin B1(FB1) levels in stored maize
samples using ELISA kits
 A total of 406 samples were analysed
 FB1 levels ranged from 13 – 606 µg/kg and these levels are
below the acceptable international regulatory limits of 2000
µg/kg for FB1+FB2
 However, on calculating the average probable daily intakes
(APDI) of fumonisin B1 for the farmers in both districts, the
APDIs were all above the provisional maximum tolerable daily
intake of 2 µg/kg/per body/day (WHO, 2002)
 The calculated APDIs ranged from 3.08 – 5.68 µg/kg
 Most rural people consume maize sadza more than once a
day
 Therefore, the farmers are exposed to FB1which is a health

26. Assessment of Aflatoxin B1 in stored
maize samples

27. Assessment of aflatoxins in
groundnuts – field samples
District Aflatoxins - µg/kg
AFB1 AFB2 AFG1 AFG2
Shamva No. of Positive
N = 105
14 14 8 6
Minimum 3.11 1.32 24.10 29.17
Maximum 175.91 181.31 271.61 143.03
Makoni No. of Positive
N=103
12 8 10 4
Minimum 0.73 - 20.85 42.52
Maximum 108.36 320.00 168.48 377.79

28. Conclusions and
Recommendations
 In both districts people have limited knowledge of
mycotoxins and associated health risks
 Poor pre and post harvest practices
 In both districts people are exposed to both
fumonisins and aflatoxins
 Need to mitigate mycotoxin contamination of food
to reduce exposure to humans at national level
 Educate people on occurrence of mycotoxins and
the associated health risks at national level

29. Thank you!