Kirera Mwiti, Ann Nyathira and George Kebaso @PeopleDailyKe
The Kenya Veterinary Association (KVA) has warned that the use of preservatives on dairy products, especially meat, is on the rise and want the chemicals banned as they pose a major health threat to consumers.
KVA’s concern comes days after a local TV station exposed supermarkets using sodium metabisulphite to preserve meat.
KVA said use of the chemical is allowed under Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act CAP 254 but the provision has been abused.
The body’s national chairman Dr Samuel Kahariri said although chemical preservatives were recognised for use under the Kenyan law, there were no set guidelines for their use.
Ban use
“As a result, the preservatives exceed the Maximum Residue Limit when used thus rendering the meat unfit for human consumption and the government should ban its use,” he said.
He attributed the mess in the sector to an acute shortage of veterinary doctors.
“We urge the National government to conduct an urgent audit on all the slaughter facilities across the country and ensure each has a meat inspector,” he said.
The vet said there was need to fast track the review of the Meat Control Act to conform to the new dispensation, and establish a Kenya Meat Board.
At the same time, consumer organisations have attributed increased cases of unscrupulous practices by traders in the food industry to the fragmented legal framework in the country.
This they said has led to laxity among government agencies, exposing consumers to unsafe food.
“The fragmentation of the legal framework that guards food safety in the country seems neither here nor there,” said Daniel Asher, programme officer, Consumer Unity and Trust Society.
The organisations, including the Consumer Downtown Association and Consumer Information Network, demanded the establishment of proper coordination among stakeholders to end the food safety menace in the country.
The government on Tuesday launched investigations into whether supermarkets were using chemicals to lengthen the shelf life of meat. The Ministry of Health promised to share results of sample tests with the public.
