Alarm as more poisonous products hit the dinner table

Frankline Sunday

Kenyans are consuming food high in poisonous substances as unscrupulous farmers and traders take advantage of laxity in the enforcement of safety regulations. This comes even as the long-awaited regulations aimed at keeping toxic chemicals off the food chain are bogged down by parliamentary bureaucracy, exposing oblivious consumers to life-threatening substances. Yesterday, Nandi County health officials conducted an operation that saw popular peanut butter brand Nuteez taken off the shelves in some supermarkets. A lorry ferrying assorted foodstuff, including large quantities of the peanut butter, was intercepted during a routine drop-off to retail outlets in the region. An analysis conducted by the Government chemist on one sample of the consignment found it contained dangerous amounts of aflatoxin and that it was “not fit for human consumption”. Aflatoxin is a poisonous substance produced by certain moulds, and is known to cause cancer. Jetlak Foods, the makers of Nuteez peanut butter, however, defended its products, saying it adhered to quality standards and had not received any indication from the Government that its products were unsafe. “As Jetlak Foods Ltd, we are not in receipt of any letter or correspondence thereof from the Ministry of Interior and Co-ordination of National Government, and we are thus in the process of investigating the purported claim,” the company said in a statement. Quality standards “We wish to reassure our esteemed customers that Jetlak Foods Ltd prescribes to the highest quality standards of quality and we remain committed to manufacturing the best quality products.” The incidence comes just days after players from the dairy industry raised concerns that poor processing and handling of animal feed led to high levels of aflatoxin in milk and meat products. Livestock Principal Secretary Harry Kimutai said on Tuesday the Ministry of Agriculture was working on a law that would bring the animal feed industry under regulation. According to Mr Kimutai, the planned Bill was part of a broader National Livestock Policy to govern the livestock industry and would create standards that producers would have to adhere to in sourcing raw materials for animal feed and having appropriate storage facilities. “The National Livestock Policy should be ready by March 31, for presentation to the Cabinet,” said Kimutai. “It is the policy that will inform others like the Animal Feeds Bill. One of the challenges in getting high-quality milk has been the issue of animal feed, where the producers do not often take care of the quality of feed and end up having high aflatoxin levels in the milk,” he said. Affects quality The Bill would also give leeway to ministry officials to test animal feed and inspect manufacturers’ premises to ensure their sourcing and handling of raw materials, as well as the feed produced, adhere to set standards. Kenya Dairy Board Chief Executive Mary Kibogy noted that there were instances of misuse of antibiotics among farmers on their cattle, with cases reported where residues show up in milk and affect its quality. The issue is widely prevalent in milk sold informally around the country.