Agriculture​ training colleges to mainstream courses on aflatoxins

8 June 2017. Uganda. Bukalasa Agricultural College. The Ministry of Education is including course units on aflatoxins in the school curriculum to increase food safety and reduce food contamination.Unsafe foods as a result of aflatoxins have continued to undermine food security, nutrients and agribusiness on the Africa continent.

The review to incorporate the latest modules will run up to August and in the next academic year starting September will be full course units in the curriculum, according to Anyang Anna Grace Head of Department Human Nutrition, Bukalasa Agricultural College.

The courses to be introduced are Introduction to micro biology, food systems and nutrition. The colleges have been funded by UNICEF to have the modules incorporated.

“Nutrition issues have not been given the priority they deserve. When you talk about aflatoxins and mycotoxins, these are issues of nutrition and food security. When we go to Mulago Cancer Institute more than 50% of the cancers are attributed to diet that’s depending on our feeding habits . Food and nutrition issues need to be addressed right from the farmers and other actors along the food value chain. Statistics indicate that 40% of food commodities are contaminated.”