Food in Nairobi has been going uninspected for months because the county lacks capacity to conduct the randomised testing necessary to maintain food safety standards - DN
Nairobi County Executive Committee member in charge of health, Mr. Hitan Majevda, said Monday that the six laboratories meant to conduct the tests have been out of commission due to lack of appropriate chemicals. - DN
Food testing is part of the surveillance function that the county is supposed to undertake to ensure that food is safe for consumption. It is meant to catch unscrupulous traders who lace food with harmful chemicals or those who flout basic hygiene and cleanliness standards. - DN
Lack of testing also raises questions about how the county has issued permits to food establishments without the necessary food safety conditions being guaranteed. - DN
Without random testing, it is impossible to identify unsafe foods, exposing Kenyans to a cocktail of disease-causing organisms and toxic chemicals. - DN
Contaminated food is the biggest cause of gastroenteritis diseases such as typhoid, botulism, cholera, hepatitis A, listeriosis, norovirus and Staphylococcal Food Poisoning. - DN
According to a recent study, norovirus, which causes diarrhoea and vomiting, is the biggest cause of death in children under five. - DN
Scientists say that large quantities of heavy metals in food, which accumulate in the body due to repeated exposure, cause multiple organ failure, retardation, memory loss and skin discolouration. - DN
Exposure to aflatoxin, contained in the mould that grows on food due to improper storage, can lead to cancer. Aflatoxin can also be passed along to meat products if found in animal feeds. - DN
The country’s health system is currently struggling under the burden of cancer incidences, with 2014 statistics from the Kenya Economic Survey naming cancer the third biggest killer after malaria and pneumonia. - DN
ICYMI, Nairobi County health department cannot test foods for poisons and toxicity bit.ly/2oWBxOO
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You are on your own...
