Aflatoxins are a major public health problem in West Africa, causing cancer deaths through contamination of the food chain. These toxins, present in milk and sometimes in meat, are mainly associated with fungi that can proliferate in livestock feed. In this context, the Research and Innovation Project for Productive, Resilient and Healthy Agro-Pastoral Systems in West Africa (PRISMA) includes an activity dedicated to technical support for the production of quality animal feed. This activity is implemented in partnership with Madrid Polytechnic University (UPM) and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

As part of this project, a mission to update the animal feed and aflatoxin control component was held in Togo from 5 to 6 November 2024. The mission brought together a team of researchers from UPM, project partner laboratories in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Nigeria, and experts from the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF).

The activities reported by partner laboratories included aflatoxin analysis using Charm EZ-M® equipment for aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in milk, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and total aflatoxins (AFT) in samples of cotton and peanut cakes, rice and wheat bran, and compound feeds in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. The mission also enabled rapid tests for the presence of aflatoxins in samples of livestock feed marketed by a veterinary practice and pharmacy in Lomé.

The mission was highly rewarding for all involved. It enabled the challenges and issues linked to the production of aflatoxin-free feed for livestock to be addressed, and a harmonized methodology to be put in place in the four (04) countries. Challenges are compounded by i) shortage of specialists and laboratories equipped to detect aflatoxins in foodstuffs at regional level, ii) difficulties in accessing analysis equipment, iii) prohibitive cost of reagents for rapid tests, and iv) absence of regulation in this area. Stakeholders are well aware of the dangers associated with aflatoxins and are already beginning to use toxin sensors in animal feed. The public health issue of aflatoxins therefore remains to be further explored with the project making greater contribution to scaling up the results in West Africa.