Researchers devise aflatoxin test kit for Kenyan farmers

The project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
has allowed researchers to create a simple kit which will
allow farmers to carry out tests on their grains before
marketing to ascertain quality.
“The procedure involves crushing grains and then mixing
with ethanol. Filtration of the mixture is then done followed
by addition of a diluent cheaply obtained from research
stations,” observed Collins Omondi, a researcher at Egerton
University Department of Biochemistry during a recent
agricultural show in Nakuru, Kenya.
According to Omondi, the resulting mixture is then tested
with strips similar to those used in HIV testing.
“Two lines of the strip will indicate positive result for
aflatoxins. On the other hand, one line will indicate negative
results on the poison”, said Omondi as he explained to
farmers who attended the agricultural show.
“The ongoing work will allow farmers to measure the
quantities of the aflatoxins in the various grains to make
decisions on marketing their produce,” noted the
researcher.
In many rural households, losses of 10-20 per cent of grain
is reported in the first three months after storage, and this
goes up to more than 50 per cent after six months.
Tegemeo Institute, a Kenyan agricultural think tank at
Egerton University, estimates that post harvest losses in
Kenya is around 30 per cent of all stored produce.