n Silvester Ndanu's expansive farmland hidden 65 km away from Kenya's capital, Nairobi, chickens peck on dirt while his tethered dairy cows graze unbothered.

Further down his sloped land, his farmhand tends to his thriving maize field.

A combination of optimal rainfall and improved methods of farming is promising Ndanu an abundant harvest.

However, this has not always been the case as he has suffered numerous losses due to aflatoxin contamination.

"A few years ago I harvested 17 bags of maize and out of this nearly nine bags were rejected after testing positive for high levels of aflatoxins. I was puzzled as the maize lacked visible indications of being contaminated," said Ndanu.

In Kenya, food contamination has been identified as one of the leading contributors to food insecurity; retrogressive farming techniques, improper storage, transportation, and processing of farm outputs are some of the factors exposing foods to mycotoxins (harmful molds/fungi).

In efforts aimed at addressing food contamination in the country, five new aflatoxin testing labs were commissioned in December last year by the state-run National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), pushing the board's total number of laboratories to six.

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