In case you missed it, here is the gist of a keynote presentation on ‘one-health’ made by Jimmy Smith, the director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), at the 5th biennial conference of the International Association for Ecology & Health, held in Montreal, Canada, 11−15 Aug 2014. Smith’s presentation was titled: ‘Healthy people, animals and ecosystems for global food and nutritional security’. Continue reading
Category Archives: Food Safety
ILRI@40: Video note on One Health research priorities in Southeast Asia
In this short film (1:17 mins), Hung Nguyen, a food safety scientist with ILRI in Vietnam, reflects on a recent discussion at a regional workshop on livestock and One Health that identified research priorities in Southeast Asia for the next 40 years. Continue reading
Aflatoxins in Kenya’s food chain: Overview of what researchers are doing to combat the threat to public health
Aflatoxins are toxic chemicals produced as by-products by fungi (moulds) that grow on maize, groundnuts and other food crops. These toxins also affect feedstuffs, which then contaminate milk, meat and eggs. The toxins occur everywhere in the world, but pose particularly high risks in tropical developing countries where certain staple foods, such as maize and sorghum, comprise a large part of the diets of the poor. Continue reading
‘Bio-control’=effective control of aflatoxins poisoning Kenya’s staple food crops
Biocontrol is one way of managing aflatoxins by targeting the fungus that produces aflatoxin while the crop is still in the field. Continue reading
Dairy feed project to reduce aflatoxin contamination in Kenya’s milk
Mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin, are toxins found in food that can cause illness and be lethal in high doses. These toxins are formed by strains of moulds that infest susceptible grains such as maize and sorghum. Dairy cows that eat contaminated feed can yield contaminated milk. Milk is a major food in Kenya. Understanding how, … Continue reading
Australia-funded research fights aflatoxin contamination in East African foods
An Australian-funded program is giving scientists in East Africa tools and capacity to address the threat posed by aflatoxins to food safety and food security in the region. Continue reading