Determination Of Aflatoxin Levels In Stored White Maize (Zea Mays L.) And Flour In Kitui, Mwingi And Makueni Districts In Kenya

ABSTRACT

Aflatoxins are fungal metabolites which are toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic and thus cause undesirable effects on animal and human health when ingested with feed or foodstuffs. Aflatoxin producing fungi may occur in certain food products in form of spores, and thus when conditions are favourable, the fungi germinate and may produce aflatoxin in varied amounts. Ingestion of higher dose of aflatoxin (Codex Commission upper limit is 10ppb), may result in aflatoxicosis which manifests as hepatoxicity or in severe cases, fulminant liver failure. The fungi grow on starchy foodstuffs such as groundnuts, pearl millet, finger millet, maize grain and maize flour, oats and sorghum in certain conditions. Maize is a staple foodstuff for over 90% of the Kenyan population. Outbreaks of aflatoxin poisoning and aflatoxicosis associated with contaminated maize grain has been reported over the years in Kitui, Mwingi and Makueni districts in Kenya. Despite this no study to date has been carried out to exactly define the prevailing circumstances that may favour occurrence of this problem in the affected districts. A study to determine and correlate aflatoxin levels, storage temperature and moisture content in stored maize grain and grain flour was done in the three districts. The sample size was determined to be 130. A stratified random sampling technique was used, where 14 strata were identified. One (1) kg sample each of maize grain and flour, was collected from each store in the strata. Storage temperature and moisture contents were determined in situ. Sample aflatoxin levels were determined by the ELISA method. Data analysis was done by a computer software, SPSS version 11.51, lead technology 2001, USA. In maize grain overall mean storage temperature was 29.6oC, mean moisture content 12.57% and aflatoxin level 13.17 ppb. A statistically significant (p