Abstract:
In this study the levels of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) in maize samples stored in Jimma
town, Ethiopia were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with
Fluorescence detector. The maize samples were collected from four different maize stores in
the town using standard sampling protocol. The average moisture content of the samples was
also investigated. The average moisture content of the maize samples collected from store 1,
store 2, store 3 and store 4 were 11.215, 11.326, 11.312 and 10.945 %, respectively and the
obtained moisture contents were all below the standard value, i.e., 14%. The mean total
aflatoxin levels in the collected maize samples from store 1, store 2, store 3 and store 4 were
0.617, 0.620, 0.267, and 0.315 μg/kg, respectively. The levels of aflatoxin detected in all the
studied maize samples were lower than the maximum tolerance limits set by international
organizations such as the US Food and Drug Administration, World Health Organization and
the European Union. Thus, the maize samples stored in Jimma town are safe in terms of the
studied aflatoxins.
