Maize imports from Uganda were found with aflatoxins
Kenyan authorities have stopped corn imports into the African nation with immediate effect, saying tests on the grain from two neighboring nations revealed high levels of mycotoxins.
The results of tests conducted on maize imported from Uganda and Tanzania showed toxin levels that were “consistently beyond safety limits,” according to a statement by the Agriculture and Food Authority. “Mycotoxins, particularly aflatoxins and fumonisins, are known to be carcinogenic.”
Kenya is still committed to facilitating safe trade with partners and will seek to work closely with stakeholders to address the issue, the regulator said.
In September, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta announced measures to reduce the cost of producing corn, and curb imports of the grain that is a staple food in most homes in the nation. Kenya consumes about 4.25 million 90-kilogram (200-pound) bags of corn every month, according to the state.
