This archive report was first published on 19 July 2019.
On July 19, 2019, a random survey conducted by the Health Ministry and Nairobi county found that six out of 40 samples of meat sold in Nairobi contained Sodium Metabisulfite, a toxic preservative in large doses.
Naivas Supermarket at Gateway Mall in Machakos was found to have sold meat containing 3386 mg/kg of the harmful additive, prompting Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua to order the closure of all meat sections in Naivas supermarkets operating in his county.
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko followed suit, closing the meat outlets in the 'guilty' supermarkets in Nairobi.
Naivas Supermarket has since suspended the sale of red meat across all its stores countrywide pending the results of independent testing.
Naivas Chief Commercial Officer Willy Kimani stated that the whole stock of red meat would be subjected to a thorough lab test and a step-by-step verification of each participant along the whole meat value chain.
Naivas has assured customers that it does not use or condone the use of any chemical preservatives for meat products and will take strong legal action against anybody found to have supplied contaminated meat to Naivas.
