Archileo Kaaya

The rich lands and waters of Uganda support a bounty of produce, leading many to tout it as East Africa’s food basket. Yet, hidden amongst these nutritious foods, there lurks an unwanted visitor, which has the potential to compromise the food security and health of the region. Meet aflatoxins. 

This group of fungal toxins is found in harvested crops and other food items and is particularly prevalent in humid countries like Uganda. When foods are not handled correctly - poorly dried or exposed to moisture - this can create the perfect conditions for the fungi to flourish.  

Archileo Kaaya, Professor at Makerere University and national consultant for FAO Uganda, is facing these poisonous compounds head on, spearheading research into aflatoxin contamination and associated food safety practices, including post-harvest handling and storage.  

It’s essential work – the fungus has been linked to stunting and liver cancer in both humans and animals. Uganda’s dietary staples, such as groundnuts (peanuts), maize, millet, cassava, beans, soybeans and nuts are particularly susceptible to contamination. The country experiences an estimated minimum of 3,700 new cases of aflatoxin-induced liver cancer a year, highlighting the need for coordinated effort across the agricultural value chain. 

Archileo promotes the use of known methods to reduce the risk of contamination, for example nixtamalization, which is the ancient Mesoamerican process of soaking maize in alkaline solution to remove aflatoxins. Under his consultation, FAO has trained over 60 master trainers on quality handling of cassava and groundnuts, as part of a project funded by the Norwegian government. 

He is also involved in developing innovative methods and technologies such as studying the potential for particular strains of microbes to reduce the aflatoxin levels of contaminated poultry feeds. Or the development of pre-harvest products like Aflasafe, another type of fungi which outcompetes and displaces the aflatoxins before they can cause harm. 

 Private sector players in food processing should ensure that quality control standards are in place. Government should ensure that all stakeholders involved in production and handling food are aware of food safety issues,” Archileo says, emphasizing that not only farmers but all of society needs to join forces in order to combat the invisible toxin.