Following a recent media expose on meat that may be unfit for human consumption due to the presence of chemicals being used to preserve it in supermarkets, Machakos governor has directed that the meat sections of all Naivas stores in Machakos County to be closed immediately after a laboratory report showed that a sample of meat sold at the store located at Gateway Mall in Mavoko, Machakos County, had 3.286 milligrams of an additive that should not be used in meat.
I wish to reiterate that my Govt will continue to be at the forefront protecting the health & rights of Wananchi & will shut down any businesses & institutions found to be polluting & abusing public trust.
I congratulate media houses for highlighting this important health issue.
— Dr. Alfred Mutua (@DrAlfredMutua) July 18, 2019
Kenyans are no strangers to food additives: the preservatives, coloring and flavoring agents that keep foods looking fresh and taste better.
An exposé by NTVs Dennis Okari, that aired on Sunday night, showed how rogue supermarket officials use chemicals, to increase the shelf life of products, putting at risk the lives of millions of Kenyans. Okari spoke to a supermarket attendant who disclosed that sometimes meat is laced with food sulphites, also referred to as dawa ya nyama, to make it appear fresh longer. “Meat shouldn’t get spoilt in the supermarket. It is considered a loss. We try to minimise losses by using the chemicals on fresh, minced and diced beef,” he spoke. “Every morning before the doors open for customers, we take packaged meat that stayed overnight, remove the cling film and change the date labels to reflect the current date. If the packaging is stained with blood, we change it and put a new wrapping,” he added.