The Implications of Aflatoxin Contamination for Local Food Safety in Senegal

Executive Summary Senegal is one of the lead producers of groundnuts, also known as peanuts, in the world. Since groundnuts are a cash crop and food crop in Senegal, their production contributes significantly to food security, poverty reduction, livestock feeding, and national trade development. In response to rising global food prices in early 2008, the Government of Senegal (GOS) supported increased agriculture production, focusing specifically on the groundnut sector, through the Great Agricultural Offensive for Food and Abundance (GOANA). But groundnuts in Senegal are also highly susceptible to aflatoxin contamination; the country is one of several aflatoxin hotspots in sub-Saharan Africa. A recent study documented the distribution of aflatoxin contamination in different agro-ecological zones within Senegal and verified that the soil is a reservoir for field infections1, as are poor storage practices. Samples2 collected in 1993 showed aflatoxin mean levels were well above acceptable levels for humans3.