Africa-Press – Tanzania. TANZANIA Bureau of Standards (TBS) has enhanced the monitoring of aflatoxins on food grains through the Tanzania Initiative for Preventing Aflatoxin Contamination (TANIPAC) programme to protect people’s health and penetrate a wide market.
The project that is under the Agriculture Ministry and TBS is an implementing agency was designed within the context of Tanzania Development Vision 2025 (TDV 2025), which places a high priority on the agriculture sector.
The TANIPAC Project Chairman, Mr Jabir Abdi, said when winding up a workshop to over 600 SMEs from four districts that people in areas where maize is the staple food are highly vulnerable to aflatoxins.
“TBS through the TANIPAC project aims to minimise aflatoxin occurrence in the food system, leading to improved food safety and security and ultimately to improved health and nutrition, agricultural productivity and trade,” said Mr Abdi, recently.
The workshop brought together processors, distributors and traders of food products from Kiteto District in the Manyara, Kongwa District in Dodoma as well as Gairo and Kilosa Districts in Morogoro.
Studies show higher dietary exposure to aflatoxins in developing countries than in developed countries, which is mainly due to the difference in standards of food storage and transportation.
“Due to the presence of the aflatoxins in these regions, TBS decided to impart knowledge on how to prevent food grains from being contaminated by aflatoxins,” he said.
The pre-harvest contamination mainly occurs in maize, cottonseed, groundnuts, and tree nuts such as almonds.
Mr Abdi said for SMEs to penetrate and compete in the regional and global markets must be equipped how to make food products remain free of aflatoxins.
He said also that the project target creating business sustainability since the grain products will be undergoing various tests and ensuring the availability of safe and clean food in the country.
For More News And Analysis About Tanzania Follow Africa-Press
