Aflatoxin contamination in groundnut and maize food products in Eastern and Northern Uganda

Groundnut and maize are among the economically important crops grown widely in Uganda for household food and income security. However, those crops and their products are vulnerable to aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxin contamination. The present study sought to establish the levels of aflatoxin in the different products of groundnut and maize in local markets and roadside retail shops. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in ten districts in the eastern and northern regions of Uganda. Groundnut products: paste, unshelled, shelled/grain, and flour/powder were collected; and maize products: cobs (covered and uncovered), grain, flour, bran, mixed feed, flour reject, and roasted/boiled maize were also collected. A total of 241 samples (133 groundnut and 108 maize samples) were collected from the community and analysed for aflatoxin contamination using ELISA test. Regardless of the source, 41.8% of groundnuts had aflatoxin levels higher than 20 parts per billion (ppb), with groundnut paste (196.52 ± 437.24 ppb) and flour (187.90 ± 289.95 ppb) being the most contaminated. Aflatoxin levels in 62.8% of maize products were higher than 20 ppb, with maize cobs having the highest levels (126.4 ppb). Groundnut and maize products from the eastern region were the most contaminated. These results indicate that most of the maize and groundnut products in the markets away from major urban centres are also highly contaminated and unsafe for food and feed. This calls for immediate action to develop mitigation measures to curb the impact of aflatoxin contamination on the health and income of households, particularly through sensitization and training on appropriate pre-and post-harvest handling practices of the products.