This archive report was first published on 19 July 2019.
On July 19, 2019, Nairobi County health officials closed down six meat retailers in the city after tests revealed that they had used excessive amounts of preservatives in their meat products.
The closure of the meat retailers came after an investigation by the county health officials, who had collected samples from various outlets for analysis at the National Public Health laboratories.
According to Nairobi Health CEC Mohammed Dagane, the requirement is that preservatives be used in limited amounts, but the six shops had exceeded the amounts, posing a risk to people's lives.
"The requirement is that the preservatives be used in limited amounts but these shops went ahead and exceeded the amounts. Those are some of the things that will affect people's lives," said Dagane.
Naivas Supermarket, one of the retailers affected, had suspended the sale of red meat across all its stores countrywide hours after Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua ordered the closure of its butchery sections in the county.
Dr. Mutua's directive came after tests on meat sold at Naivas Supermarket's Gateway Mall outlet in Mavoko showed it had 3,286mg of sodium metabisulfite per kilogramme.
The Ministry of Health and the Nairobi County Public Health Department announced that 15 per cent of meat samples analyzed from the capital have been confirmed to contain the chemical, adding that all raw meat from the affected outlets had been seized.
Additionally, the governments said the affected outlets will be prosecuted, hinting at looming legal action against the offending retailers.
