ICRISAT devolops low-cost portable kit to test aflatoxins

A new portable testing device that can detect aflatoxins and costs below Rs 135 has been developed by a consortia, including the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).
Aflatoxin is carcinogenic. It is a toxic substance produced by mould fungi that can grow on poorly managed agricultural crops, particularly groundnuts. If eaten in sufficient quantities, aflatoxin can cause serious sicknesses.
"A new technology that detects aflatoxins on location, can save lives and open export markets for African and Asian countries," ICRISAT said in a statement.
The portable device would cost below USD 2 (Rs 135) and will be ready in two months for use by farmers and others.

The device was developed with funding from McKnight Foundation and in collaboration with partners including the National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi-NASFAM, Farmers Union Malawi (FUM), Kamuzu Central Hospital and Nkhoma Hospital, Malawi.
It is a simple non-laboratory based kit that can be used directly by non-technical people such as farmers, agro-dealers and food processors. Currently, the test can be applied to detect aflatoxin in groundnuts.

The new test is simple to perform and can detect contamination at levels of 10 parts per billion (ppb) in less than 15 minutes. While the competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (cELISA) test, developed in 2000 by ICRISAT, which has to be done in a laboratory by trained technicians, and other analytical tests can take up to 2 days.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 25 per cent of all crops in the world are affected by aflatoxins.
The WHO recently estimated that in 2010 around 20,000 people died globally from aflatoxin poisoning and an equal number fell ill.
Groundnut, maize, sorghum, pearl millet, chilies, pistachios, cassava and other food products are contaminated by aflatoxin each year. They not only affect human and livestock health but can also affect the marketability of food products. Many countries reject imports of agricultural products that exceed certain levels of aflatoxin, costing farmers millions of dollars every year.