The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) in collaboration with Egerton University have trained 35 students from the University on food safety and aflatoxin management in a move aimed at reducing the rising burden of food-borne diseases and help in promoting public health.

The training which was conducted through the 'Food Safety 4 Africa initiative', also focused on fair trade practices towards ensuring preservation of food quality from production, handling, processing, preparation, and marketing in order to prevent contamination.

Food Safety 4 Africa initiative Principal Investigator Prof George Owuor said unsafe food has had devastating effects on the economy and businesses and emphasised the need to invest in a system that could ensure safety of food from the farms to the table.

Prof Owuor expressed optimism that the trained students will help in boosting farmers' and traders' safety practices to the required standards and also ensuring the safety of consumers.