Called the Enhancing Aflatoxin Management in Ghana’s Maize and Groundnuts (EAMMAG) project, it will be implemented by the CSIR and partners.
The EAMMAG will be implemented in six regions and is being funded by the Standards and Trade Development Facility.
Aflatoxin can be described as harmful fungal contamination of foods such as groundnuts, tree nuts, maize, rice, figs and other dried foods, spices, crude vegetable oils and cocoa beans, before and after harvest.

Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, the Minister of Environment, Science, and Technology, speaking at the official launch of the project on Thursday in Accra, stated the important milestone the project marked in the country’s journey towards achieving sustainable food security, and public health.

The implementation of the EAMMAG aligned with the country’s commitment to enhancing food safety, food security and competitiveness of agricultural value chains.

Dr Muhammed touched on the Government’s awareness of the public health and economic losses linked to high levels of aflatoxins in the country, hence the need to adopt the National Policy for Aflatoxin Control in Food and Feed.

“Their presence in food and feed have severe health implications, including liver damage, immune system suppression, and even cancer,” he said.

“Aflatoxin contamination threatens food security by damaging crops during storage, causing food losses and limiting the marketability of agricultural products.”

Beyond health concerns, he noted that contaminated crops often failed to meet national and international safety standards, leading to rejection and destruction of products.

“This limits income earning potential of small and medium-scale farmers, many of whom depend on agriculture for their livelihoods,” Dr Mohammed said.

“Addressing aflatoxin contamination is, therefore, not only a matter of public health but also a critical step towards improving Ghana’s agricultural and trade competitiveness in national, regional and global markets.”

Dr Rose Omari, the Project Coordinator of EAMMAG, said a recent study across 10 regions of Ghana indicated the presence of aflatoxins in varying concentrations in over 80 per cent of maize and 73 per cent of groundnut sampled.
She said 51 per cent of maize samples and 26 per cent of groundnut samples exceeded Ghana’s maximum permissible limits-15 ppb for maize and 10 ppb for ground-nuts.

The project would, thus, strengthen the capacity of value chain actors in safe and quality maize and groundnut production, processing, marketing and consumption.

The EAMMAG would also strengthen the capacities of regulatory and extension services to effectively support Ghanaian value chain actors to comply with aflatoxin standards and other food safety requirements and improve market access for their products.

One of the priority areas, Dr Omari said, would be public education to increase consumer demand for aflatoxin-safe products.

Dr Delese Mimi Darko, the Chief Executive Officer, Food and Drugs Authority, in a statement delivered on her behalf, said the project was a great opportunity to deal with public health crisis.

The Food and Drugs Authority, she noted, would work in harmony with the project to succeed.
“Aflatoxin can contaminate food in the storage facilities so we will increase our surveillance to ensure poor storage facilities are improved to the required standards,” Dr Darko said.