This archive report was first published on 20 July 2019.
On July 20, 2019, a shocking investigative story aired on NTV exposed how some supermarkets and butchers in Kenya were selling meat laced with chemicals, raising food safety concerns.
Cabinet Secretary Silicy Kariuki ordered health ministry officials to carry out raids on meat retailers to test the levels of Sodium Metabisulfite in meat products on sale. The investigation revealed that six out of 40 meat samples collected randomly from retailers in Nairobi and tested in Government laboratories had high amounts of Sodium Metabisulfite.
As a result, the CS ordered health officials to close down six outlets, including the meat section of supermarkets, whose stocks were found to contain excessive amounts of the preservative. The affected retailers were Muthaiga Fine Meats Limited, Tuskys Buruburu, Naivas Mavoko, and Tuskys Kenyatta Avenue.
Food Scientist and City Butcher Joseph Nge’the advised consumers to use different approaches to determine if their meat purchases are fresh. He said that buyers should not purchase meat products with a pungent smell, as it is an indication that it is rotten. Nge’the also suggested that buyers can judge the quality of meat through its general appearance and touch.
Experts revealed that Sodium Metabisulfite is likely to be found in excess in chopped pieces or packaged meat. Nge’the advised buyers to ask butchers to sell them hanged meat as opposed to chopped pieces or that which is already packaged. He also suggested that customers can verify the safety of meat by digging for more background information from the supplier or retailer.
Veterinary Surgeon Dr Kenneth Wameyo said that buyers of meat products can detect whether they are consuming too much chemicals through taste. He explained that meat preserved with excessive chemicals has a sour taste.
Both Nge’the and Dr Wameyo suggested that the government should train retailers on the right way to preserve meat using chemical preservatives. Dr Wameyo also proposed that retailers should declare to buyers the chemicals they have used in preservation at the point of purchase to allow them make informed choices on whether to buy the product or not.
