This archive report was first published on 6 July 2021.
Published on July 6, 2021, a new report has shed light on the pressing issue of food safety in Kenya, with a staggering 89% of respondents expressing concern over the food they eat.
Conducted by the Consumer Grassroots Association (CGA), the study aimed to gauge the level of food safety awareness and perceptions among consumers in three counties: Kirinyaga, Kajiado, and Nairobi.
The survey revealed that the majority of respondents (67%) felt that their sources of food, including major and local supermarkets, open-air markets, direct from farmers, and mama mbogas, did not guarantee food safety.
Interestingly, respondents who bought from major supermarkets had the highest level of confidence in the safety of food, followed by those who bought from local supermarkets. In contrast, those who bought from mama mboga, direct from farmers, and open-air markets had no confidence in the safety of food.
According to the survey, Nairobi scored the least at 30%, Kajiado 32%, and Kirinyaga 44% respectively in level of confidence in food markets.
CGA's Executive Director, Ms. Alice Kemunto, emphasized the importance of the survey, stating, 'As a national consumer protection organisation, CGA carried out the perception survey to contribute to the local body of knowledge on food safety, a global concern that is increasingly gaining prominence in Kenya.'
The survey also found that 55% of respondents were very worried, 33% slightly worried, while 12% were not worried about the safety of their food. The trend was consistent across the three counties, highlighting the widespread concern among consumers.
Respondents from Kirinyaga county expressed the highest level of confidence at 41%, followed by Kajiado at 33%, and Nairobi at 28%. The methods consumers use to ensure food safety were similar in all three counties, including washing food thoroughly before cooking, ensuring food is properly cooked, and buying from trusted suppliers.
However, CGA's Food Safety Project Officer, Ms. Angela Atieno, noted that 'food safety should be assured from production, as in some instances washing and cooking does not eliminate chemical contamination.'
The survey also sought to gauge the level of awareness among consumers on food safety policies and laws, with only 9% of respondents aware of existing or proposed policies. Furthermore, the survey found that most consumers are not aware of the issues surrounding pesticide use, with only 36% having received information on human, food safety issues coming out of pesticide use in the past year.
The leading sources of information on pesticide use/misuse and other food safety issues include non-governmental organizations (37%), social networks (30%), agrovet operators (15%), county governments (11%), and the National Government (7%).
Key interventions proposed in the study include public education and awareness creation, implementation, enforcement, and regular monitoring of laws and policies regarding food safety, as well as development of reporting mechanisms.
