The Hidden Power of an Orange Grain: Why Pro-Vitamin A Maize Could Be Africa’s Next Food Safety Breakthrough

In 2004, an aflatoxin outbreak swept through Eastern and Central Kenya, killing over 120 people and hosIn 2004, an aflatoxin outbreak swept through Eastern and Central Kenya, killing over 120 people and hospitalizing many more. The culprit? Maize—our staple food—contaminated with a toxin invisible to the eye but lethal to the liver. I remember the fear vividly. My mother would cook ugali (a stiff porridge made from maize flour) earlier than usual and eat first. If she didn’t fall ill, only then would we—her four children—be allowed to eat. She became our ‘canary’, risking her own health to protect ours. That experience drives my commitment to build resilient food systems that protect the most vulnerable. Because no mother should have to wonder if the maize on her child’s plate is safe.

Aflatoxins are toxic compounds produced by fungi—mainly Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus—that thrive in hot, humid conditions. These toxins are silent killers. Chronic exposure can stunt growth, suppress immunity, and in severe cases, lead to liver cancer or death. Long viewed primarily as a food safety concern, aflatoxins are now increasingly recognized as a food security and nutrition issue—because food is not truly food if it is not safe.

This year’s World Food Safety Day theme, “Food Safety: Science in Action,” challenges us to do better. Science must not only prevent illness and reduce food loss—it must anticipate threats and deliver holistic solutions. What if the same crops we breed for better nutrition could also defend us from food toxins?  That’s the promise of pro-vitamin A Maize (pVAM)—an orange grain that could help countries like Nigeria tackle two of their biggest challenges: micronutrient deficiencies and aflatoxin contamination.

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