“If someone eats this maize, which may contain high aflatoxin levels, they may die and their death may be attributed to something else,” Dr Alejandro Ortega-Beltran a Plant Pathologist with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) says as he scrolls through pictures of nasty looking maize. Nasty, because it is rotten and covered by mold. “No way, no one eats that! I protest!” He keenly looks at me and adds, “when I was collecting crop samples, a woman in Mali was going to prepare a meal from this to feed her children. They cook the grains that are not too moldy—which may be highly contaminated—and give the rest to chicken and livestock…” A cold chill runs through my body causing me to mouth an unbelievable, “Really?!”
