REGULATING AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION IN FOOD PRODUCTS

BY RAYMOND N. WIGENGE Director of Food Safety Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority

Outline of the presentation • Introduction • Establishment, roles and responsibilities of TFDA • Mission and Vision statements • Risks associated with aflatoxin contamination • Regulatory measures being taken to mitigate effects associated with aflatoxins • Gaps in regulation of aflatoxin contamination • Concluding remarks

1.0 Introduction • Provision of safe food is basic right to all humans • Tanzania like many other governments is regulating food safety for purpose of protecting the health of consumers • There are different Ministries with roles having bearing on safety of food (from farm to folk) • Food safety for purpose of human protection falls under the Ministry responsible for health.

• Under the Ministry of Health, TFDA was established to enforce the Tanzania Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act No. 1 of 2003.

• The Act is geared at among other things protection of food consumers against hazards associated with food

Mission and vision statements

Mission

• To protect and promote public health by regulating the safety, quality and effectiveness of food, medicines, cosmetics and medical devices.

Vision

• To be the leading African Regulatory Authority in ensuring safe, quality and effective food, medicines, cosmetics and medical devices for all.

Risks associated with aflatoxin contamination • Majority of Tanzanians consume cereals as staple foods. Some consume tubers and roots.

• Unfortunately cereals are more vulnerable to fungal infestation and mycotoxins contamination • The magnitude of aflatoxin contamination is not well known and therefore the level of exposure to consumers is not known too.

• Food consume may be exposed to risks associated with aflatoxins through consumptions of contaminated food (from crops) or animal products from animals consumed aflatoxin contaminated feeds • Majority of people consume cereals produced by households therefore not regulated

Risks associated with aflatoxin contamination continued………………….

• Aflatoxins have acute and chronic. • Health effects include liver cancer, immunosupression, malnutrition • Aflatoxin poisoning which can cause deaths

Basis for Regulating Aflatoxins Factors that influence decision-making setting limits for aflatoxin include: • Exposure assessment • Analytical methodology.

in • Economic factors, such as commercial and trade interests and food security issues.

Regulatory measures being taken to mitigate effects associated with aflatoxins • Prescription of MLs based on national or international standards. Eg. MLs for aflatoxins (5 ppb B1 and 10 ppb total aflatoxins) • Regulation of foods takes into account national or international standards for both locally and imported products) eg. Registration of pre-packaged products • Conducting research on status of aflatoxin contamination in cereals, nuts, tubers and roots (exposure assessment) • Providing data to WHO/FAO JECFA for setting/review of MLs

Regulatory measures being taken to mitigate effects associated with aflatoxins….

• Established food risk department for carrying out exposure assessment • Conducting food inspection in storage facilities, transport, manufacturing and registration of warehouses for registration or checking compliance • Provision of education and information • Collaboration among different players along the food chain

Challenges • Weak capacity to conduct exposure assessment • Lack of field test kits for screening aflatoxin contamination in both pre-packaged and non pre packaged foods • Weak linkage between different players along the food chain • Limited information and education to various stakeholders

Concluding remarks The challenge of determining the level of exposure to the majority of the people consuming especially foods produced by households for their own consumption is enormous in terms of capacity and resources, therefore more effort is required in addressing the problem Since addressing problems of aflatoxin contaminated foods involves different players along the food chain, coordination and cooperation among actors along the food chain is one of the ways of mitigating effects associated with aflatoxin contamination