Aflatoxin contamination directly and indirectly affects thousands and thousands of people. Countries with strong governance systems where regulations are enforced and public health budgets are robust are doing a relatively better job of controlling aflatoxin contamination. What examples of interesting and effective approaches are there from countries with weaker governance systems? Where has the private sector led in driving to a solution? Which organizations are seeking to effect a solution in Southeast Asia?
It is difficult for a country with weak governance to regulate aflatoxin contamination. They can make a database to identify the specific area in which the occurrence of aflatoxin is high and replace the cultivated crop with other crops in that area to avoid contamination. The countries with import oriented food security may regulate aflatoxin contamination on the port of entry. If the contamination is unavoidable, they can change the conventional cooking method to reduce the level of aflatoxin contamination in the final product.
It is a problem with very difficult solutions when the governance is weak. General measures may be implemented in the crops fields, like cultures rotation, or post harvest storage cares: always in dry places with good hygiene management. For populations at risk, or potentially exposed, is mandatory to avoid the consumption of crops, cereals or dry fruits with evident mold growth or having moldy tastes (informative campaigns or risk communications). Some foodstuffs are more frequently contaminated, like peanuts, pistachio, maize, coconuts, and, having this as un assumption, a special attention must be addressed to its use.
Addressing aflatoxin contamination in countries with weak governance systems require an adoption of appropriate currently existing legislation,strengthening capacity to enforce rules,promoting good agricultural,manufacturing and hygiene practices.
The problem of aflatoxins can not be over emphasised. How it affects people directly or indirectly shows the undermining of its effects by government legislations. For effectively combating these problems, all efforts should be put on deck, by the said legislatives, starting from the grass root. Identification of the most prevalence areas of AFs occurance and studying the factors that initiates the proliferic growth and hence contaminations should be a starting point which can be checkmated by possible means.
A broad platform of partnership in food safety and quality must first be established between the regulatory (public) and private sector through an open door policy to demystify the mandates of public institutions and providing space for participation of the private sector in coming up with some of the controls. Regular knowledge transfer sessions (workshops) to disseminate best practices and giving prominence to health and trade implications of aflatoxins go a long way in winning the support of value chain players in the management of aflatoxins.
All thanks. Bernardo, may you direct me to a good but not overly technical piece on aflatoxin contamination in coconuts? Very interesting that it occurs there with frequency.
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