UNBS to destroy five maize loads destined for S. Sudan

At least five consignment of maize grain and flour that were destined for South Sudan are to be destroyed by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) because of a failed aflatoxin test.

In a statement released on Friday, UNBS has since cautioned Ugandan traders dealing in supplies of food stuff to comply with the requirements of safety and quality standards.

“Accordingly, the 20 consignments which passed the aflatoxin test will be released to the owners for further management while the five consignments which failed the test will be seized at Elegu border pending their disposal,” read in part the statement by UNBS. 

The statement added: “The Bureau advises traders dealing in supply of the above to comply with the requirements of safety and quality standards and must seek certification of such commodities from UNBS before putting them on both the domestic and export market. 

Therefore, any commodities found on the market which do not conform to the required quality standards will be seized and destroyed by UNBS.”

According to the UNBS statement, a joint delegation from Uganda led by the Senior Presidential adviser and chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), Mr Odrek Rwabwogo, travelled to Elegu-Nimule border on July 8 to oversee the release of the trucks. 

The publication established that the release of the consignment was brokered in an earlier meeting between President Museveni and his counterpart, Salva Kiir.

Further, UNBS said although there were more than 90 trucks affected, 23 that were at Nimule Border on the South Sudan side were immediately released while those inside South Sudan were yet to be released.

The 23 trucks were carrying 27 assorted consignments which included maize grain, milled maize (corn), dry beans, sorghum, cassava flour and finger millet grains.

This saw the above food stuffs analysed to establish whether the aflatoxin levels are within the acceptable standards.

The analysis was undertaken in accordance with the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO).
UNBS said the results showed that four of the eight consignments of maize grains failed with the highest levels of aflatoxin. 

Likewise, one of the 12 consignments of maize flour failed the aflatoxin test.
Other results showed that all the two consignments of beans passed the aflatoxin test, all the three consignments of sorghum passed the test and the one consignment of cassava flour also passed the aflatoxin test.

Going forward, UNBS warned that together with other regulatory agencies, it will intensify monitoring of exports to ensure conformity to the required quality standards.

About aflatoxins 
Aflatoxins are a family of toxins produced by certain fungi that are found on agricultural crops such as maize (corn), peanuts, cottonseed, and tree nuts. 

The main fungi that produce aflatoxins are Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, which are abundant in warm and humid regions of the world. 

Aflatoxin-producing fungi can contaminate crops in the field, at harvest, and during storage. 
Exposure to aflatoxins is associated with an increased risk of liver cancer.