This archive report was first published on 19 July 2019.
On July 19, 2019, Naivas, a leading Kenyan supermarket chain, made a shocking announcement: it would suspend the sale of red meat in its outlets across the country.
The decision came after allegations emerged that meat products sold in Naivas stores contained a harmful additive. In response, the supermarket's meat sections in various outlets in Nairobi and Machakos were shut down.
Naivas Chief Commercial Officer Willy Kimani stated, "We will only be selling white meat for now in all our butcheries." The company assured customers that it was cooperating with national and county government agencies to address the issue and emphasized that customer welfare remained paramount.
Naivas also vowed to take strong legal action against anyone found to have supplied contaminated meat to the supermarket. The company denied using or condoning the use of any chemical preservatives for meat products.
The crackdown in Nairobi and Mombasa followed an investigative report by NTV, which exposed how meat sellers in the city were using excessive amounts of Sodium Metabisulfite preservative to prolong shelf life.
