Each year, countries in sub-Saharan Africa lose more than US $450 million in trade revenue from major staples, particularly maize and groundnuts, as a result of contamination from deadly aflatoxins. Presence of aflatoxin not only keeps tainted products out of international trade, it keeps it off local market shelves. The toxin is produced by a fungus that can easily find its way into crops at any point, especially if the crops are not properly dried during the post-harvest stages. In Zambia, the National Institute for Science and Industrial Research (NISIR), with the help of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division, set up a laboratory network with particular focus on mycotoxin control, to increase food safety for both local consumers and export markets. A routine sampling found contamination in peanut butter, which proved especially important considering that peanuts are a major staple food in Zambia.
In September 2016, the Zambia Bureau of Standards, part of the country’s laboratory network, seized over 11 000 containers of aflatoxin-contaminated peanut butter from various shops in the capital city, Lusaka. During the Bureau’s routine market sampling, the peanut butter had been found to contain dangerously high levels of aflatoxin, which is a deadly and carcinogenic food poison that can cause serious illness and death, and has been suspected of contributing to stunting in children and retarding productivity of both people and animals. In addition to the threat to public health, taking contaminated products out of the food chain means less food for the people, hence, impacting food security.