Mycotoxicology Society calls for national policy

The President of the Mycotoxicology Society of Nigeria, Dr. Anthony Negedu has spoken of the need to have a National Mycotoxin policy that will among others, improve capacity building, raise the level of awareness among the farmers, feedmillers and exporters of agricultural products, and availability of user friendly intervention strategies.

Negedu stated this at the 10th annual conference and workshop of the Mycotoxicology Society of Nigeria held at the International Institute of Tropical Research (IITA) from July 13 to 15, 2015. He spoke of the damaging effect of mycotoxins to human and animal health. These include various forms of morbidities like liver cancer and possibly death. He revealed that the International Agency for Research on Cancer has confirmed that aflatoxin, a mycotoxin common in Nigeria and Africa is a type I carcinogen with the capability of inducing cancer in man

Negedu highlighted the achievement of the Society in the context of the national Food safety policy and promised increased awareness on mycotoxins in foods and feeds among Nigerians.

A plant pathologist with the IITA, Dr. Ranajit Bandyopadhyay, who partnered with Dr. Joseph Atehkeng to work on aflatoxin biocontrol spoke on the biopesticide observed that this pesticide will be a deterrent to aflatoxin from the field, believing that the reduction achieved from the field will have a direct effect on the contaminant level in store.

The biopesticide called aflasafe, is targeted against maize and groundnut, which are two important Nigerian crops. It was revealed that aflasafe administration guarantees up to 500 per cent increase in yield, with about 600 increase in incomes.

The meeting agreed on the need for an enhanced private sector participants, called implementers, in the biocontrol scheme.

Many fast screening techniques were on display and many papers were presented on surveillance studies and solution provision. The Lead Speaker, Dr. Amarey Ayalew, Programme Manager, Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa, (PACA) based in Ethiopia, represented by Dr. Chibundu Ezekiel, regarded aflatoxin as a developmental challenge affecting public health, trade and economy as well as food and nutrition security. As part of the mandate of PACA, he promised continued support to every effort aimed at reducing the incidence of aflatoxin in food. He announced the coming on board of Nigeria as the 6th pilot country that will assist in the implementation of its programme.

The other countries are Gambia, Malawi, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda. Participants at the conference were drawn from Universities, research institutes, Federal ministries and agencies, government regulatory bodies and the private sector