Kenya has sounded a fresh warning over food safety risks after new laboratory tests exposed dangerously high aflatoxin levels in cereals sold in parts of the country, putting everyday staples under scrutiny and raising concern over what is reaching consumers’ plates.
The alert was issued during World Food Safety Day 2026 commemorations in Nairobi, where the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) said food safety must no longer be treated as a routine check but as a core part of national development and public protection.
KEBS Managing Director Esther Ngari said rapid changes in food production and distribution systems are introducing new dangers that are not being fully controlled, exposing consumers to risks such as unsafe chemical use, fake food products, poor storage practices, weak tracking systems and contamination from toxins like aflatoxin.
“This year’s theme, ‘From Burdens to Solutions: Safe Food Everywhere,’ reminds us that food safety is not simply about compliance or inspection. It is about protecting lives, strengthening livelihoods, supporting trade and preserving public confidence,” Ngari said.
She added that safe food systems must be built from the ground up, starting at production and continuing through transport, storage, processing and sale, warning that failure at any point increases risks to the public.
Ngari also stressed that food safety cannot be left to regulators alone, saying farmers, traders, processors, researchers and consumers all have a role in preventing contamination and improving standards across the supply chain.
The warning follows laboratory findings by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), which detected unsafe levels of aflatoxin in cereal samples collected from different markets across the country.
KALRO Director General Patrick Ketiem said tests showed contamination levels far above safe limits allowed for human consumption.
“Some of the samples tested had contamination levels of up to 500 parts per billion against the recommended safety limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb),” Ketiem told the press.
“The only acceptable limit by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is 10ppb. If you have passed 10ppb, it cannot be accepted,” he added.
Aflatoxins are toxic substances produced by moulds that develop in cereals such as maize and sorghum, especially when drying and storage conditions are poor. Continued exposure has been linked to serious health problems, including liver disease, cancer and weakened immunity.
In response, KEBS said it has stepped up monitoring and inspections in food markets to ensure products sold to consumers meet required safety standards.
KEBS Director of Quality Assurance Geoffrey Muriira said unsafe food remains a major threat that often goes unnoticed until it affects public health.
“If it is not safe, it is not food, and this is the message that we want everybody to have because food safety is a shared responsibility,” Muriira said.
“There is more need to create awareness to ensure that the population understands the burden we are facing because of unsafe food.”
Ngari said addressing the problem requires practical changes at farm level, including proper use of farm inputs, better handling practices and improved storage methods to reduce contamination before food reaches the market.
She further noted that safe food should not only be associated with formal processing industries or export markets, but must also be guaranteed in informal settings such as open-air markets, schools, restaurants, supermarkets and households.
The commemoration brought together regulators, researchers, industry players and consumer representatives, all calling for stronger coordination and tighter systems to reduce the growing risk of contaminated food in the country.