Evaluation of mycotoxin awareness and mycotoxin content of rice and rice bran from selected rice growing regions of Kenya

Aim/Background: Mycotoxins are potential carcinogens which are difficult to destroy and therefore awareness of their control is important. Aflatoxins and fumonisins have previously been reported on Kenyan rice. However, similar information on rice bran is scanty though it is widely used in animal feeds. Method: A survey of mycotoxin awareness among rice farmers and millers was done at Ahero and Mwea; the two main rice growing and milling regions of Kenya. The impact of this awareness on contamination, was tracked by analyzing the content of Aflatoxin (AF) B1, B2, G1 and G2 and; Fumonisin (F) B1 and B2 using tandem Liquid Chromatography Mass/Mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) of 18 freshly milled rice and rice bran samples from Mwea, Ahero and Lungalunga (a minor rice growing region). These studies took place between July and December 2023. Results: Mycotoxin awareness was higher in Mwea (64.1%, n = 44 and; 66.7%, n =18) than in Ahero (29.5%, (n = 61) and; 15.8%, n = 19 respectively for farmers and millers). Only AFB1 and FB2 respectively in a few rice bran and rice samples mainly from Lungalunga were detected; within the codex acceptable limit of 10µg/Kg and 2000µg/Kg for aflatoxins and fumonisins respectively. Conclusion: There was more mycotoxin awareness in Mwea than in Ahero. Mycotoxin contamination was within the acceptable safety limit. However, so as to reduce sub- optimal intake of these mycotoxins and the spread of mycotoxigenic fungi, intervention strategies at different stages of rice handling should be enhanced in all rice growing regions of Kenya.