Malawi is upgrading its food safety system using nuclear and isotopic testing techniques, with support from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as detailed in an IAEA news release. The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) has expanded its lab capacity to detect radionuclides, mycotoxins, pesticide residues, toxic metals, and veterinary drug traces in key products including tea, milk, and macadamia nuts. Accreditation scope has grown from one mycotoxin group to seven, while pesticide testing capacity jumped from five residues to 150.
As the world’s sixth largest macadamia nut producer, Malawi supplies 11,000 metric tons annually — making reliable contamination testing essential for market access. The upgraded lab can now detect toxic metals and radionuclides such as caesium-137, lead-210, and polonium-210, which can cause serious health risks with prolonged exposure. A baseline radioactivity database has also been established to support routine monitoring and rapid response to radiological emergencies.
For milk — produced mostly by small-scale farmers — the lab uses radioreceptor assays with carbon-14 and tritium tracers to quickly detect chemical residues, advising producers on safe agrochemical use. Tea, one of Malawi’s top exports, now undergoes rigorous safety checks using gamma spectrometry to measure trace radionuclide levels. MBS Director of Testing Services Stephen Massah Kuyeli called the IAEA support “transformative,” closing critical gaps in monitoring both radiological and chemical food hazards.
IAEA Joint FAO/IAEA Centre Director Dongxin Feng stressed that the goal is building independent national capacity for the long term, not just fixing immediate gaps. MBS Director General Bernard Thole said plans are underway to extend monitoring to more food commodities and train a new generation of analysts to sustain these efforts for years to come.
