15Mycotoxin contamination data (n=1818) in feed and food from major laboratories were 16 categorized into hazardous and non-hazardous using contaminants regulatory limits, analyzed 17 by logistic regression and chi-square test to identify potential health hazards. Feeds were 18 most contaminated, with 64% and 39% having total aflatoxin (AFT) levels above Kenyan and 19 American standards respectively. Peanuts, the most contaminated food, had 61% and 47% of 20 samples failing Kenyan and American AFT standards respectively. By European standards, 21 wheat had highest AFT contamination rate of 84%. Half of baby foods sampled had AFT 22 level above Kenyan and European standards. Maize had failure rates of 20% (Kenyan 23 standard), 14% (American standard) and 25% (European standard) for AFT. We observed 24 high frequency of mycotoxins (AFT, aflatoxin M1, zearalenone, T-2 toxin, ochratoxin A, 25 fumonisins, deoxynivalenol) and AFT hazards with significantly (p<0.001) higher failure 26 rates in wheat, peanuts, mycotoxin hazards in dairy products in that order (European 27 standard). Failure rates were significantly (p<0.001) higher in feed ingredients (p<0.01), baby 28 foods (p<0.05), maize (p<0.001), fodder (p<0.05) for mycotoxins, and compound feeds, 29 peanuts, wheat (p<0.001), feed ingredients, baby foods (p<0.01), maize (p<0.001), fodder 30 (0.01), in that order, for AFT (American standard). Fail rates were significantly higher for 31 mycotoxins in compound feeds, feed ingredients, peanuts, wheat, baby foods, maize 32 (p<0.001), herbal health drink (p<0.01), and for AFT in compound feeds, feed ingredients, 33 peanuts, wheat (p<0.001), baby foods (p<0.01), herbal health drink (p<0.05), maize 34 (p<0.001) in that order (Kenyan standard). High frequency of mycotoxin and AFT hazards in 35 maize, baby foods, herbal health drink and aflatoxin M1 in dairy products was noted.
36Detection by different laboratories varied significantly (p<0.001). Health and economic 37 implications of this and limitations of current food safety standards are discussed. Humans 38 and animals in Kenya are chronically exposed to mycotoxin hazards that require constant 39 surveillance and strict regulation.
41Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by toxigenic fungi that infest food and 42 feed materials during pre-and post-harvest periods [1]. The most commonly encountered 43 dietary mycotoxins with worldwide occurrence are aflatoxins, ochratoxins, zearalenone, 44 fumonisins, trichothecenes and patulin produced by the fungal genera Aspergillus, 45 Penicillium and Fusarium [1,2,3,4]. Children in Africa are continuously exposed to dietary 46 mycotoxins [5]. Effects of chronic exposure include aggravation of disease pathogenesis in 47 experimental animals and humans ([6,7,8], reduced animal productivity [9], and impaired 48 animal nutrition [10]. Mycotoxins can also be teratogenic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, 49 estrogenic, nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic and immunosuppressive in humans and animals [4,8].
50Aflatoxin is an importan...