Effect of Farmers Training and Use of Novasil Binders on Aflatoxin M1 in Milk from Smallholder Farms in Kasarani, Kenya

Abstract

Milk consumption in Kenya is higher thanthat of other countries in East Africa. However, milk contamination with aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is common, but the magnitude of exposure to AFM1 and associated health risks might not be well understood by specific groups i.e. farmers and need routine monitoring. Aflatoxins, which commonly contaminate animal feeds and human food, present a significant public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) can be found in milk from cows if fed on diets contaminated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Aflatoxin contamination throughout the dairy value chain has a negative impact on food security and livelihoods. Therefore, this study was carried outto determine the effects of farmers’ knowledge and use of binders on aflatoxin M1 contamination of cow milk produced in urban and peri-urban dairy farms. The study involved smallholder dairy farms in urban and peri-urban areas of Kasarani sub-county, Nairobi county, Kenya. A quasi-experimental design was used, including baseline, intervention and endline surveys. Farmer data was collected through questionnaires, while milk contamination data was collected through laboratory analysis using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for AFM1 in milk. A baseline survey was conducted with 100 farmers, from which 30 whose milk contained AFM1 levels greater than 20 ng/kg were randomly selected for inclusion in the study. Twenty of the thirty farmers were educated on aflatoxins and their effects on animals and humans, and they were given NovaSil® binders to mix with their animals' feeds for three months (intervention), while the remaining ten served as a control group. All farmers were visited twice a month for interviews and milk sample collection for three months. One month after the end of the trial period, the control group was trained as the intervention group for a day and provided with a binder that would last for three months. An endline survey was conducted ten months after the baseline to assess the intervention's effect on aflatoxin levels in milk and farmers practices and knowledge. During the baseline survey, 84 milk samples were collected from smallholder dairy farms and analyzed for AFM1. Ninety-nine percent of the samples (83/84) analyzed were contaminated with AFM1. The mean aflatoxin level was 84 ng/kg at the baseline, with 64% of the samples exceeding the EU legal limit of 50 ng/kg but within Kenyan standard of 500 ng/kg. Whereas 80% of the farmers were aware of aflatoxin, there was no correlation between farmers knowledge and AFM1 prevalence. The intervention group had a significant difference in AFM1 levels between the trial periods and the baseline, whereas the control group did not. The NovaSil® binder significantly reduced AFM1 concentrations in the raw milk produced by the farmers in the intervention group over the trial duration (p < 0.01). The intervention group had eight times more reduction in aflatoxin levels compared to the control group. The control farms were more likely to have milk with AFM1 levels exceeding the regulatory limit of 50 ng/kg than the intervention farms (p < 0.001). The farmers in the intervention group reported an improvement in milk yield, cow health and appetite. The training also improved the farmers understanding of how mould and aflatoxins affect humans and animals. In conclusion, the use of binders and the training significantly reduced the aflatoxin levels in milk during the trial period, this did not continue when farmers were no longer provided with the binders after the trial period. Educating farmers on aflatoxins control and addition of binders in animal feeds is feasible in smallholder systems and can be promoted as an approach to on-farm mitigation of aflatoxins. There is a need to raise awareness of binders use and invest more in acceptable and locally sustainable marketing approaches for the binders.