People Team @PeopleDailyKe
The government yesterday closed several meat outlets belonging to various supermarkets in Nairobi and Machakos, suspected of selling meat laced with Sodium Metabisulfite, a chemical used in food preservation.
In Nairobi, the county government ordered the closure of eight supermarkets’ meat sections after samples from their outlets revealed presence of metabisulfite, also known as sulphites.
Nairobi Health Services executive Mohammed Dagane said the decision to shut down the outlets was arrived at yesterday following random tests that were done from Tuesday.
Meat samples drawn from more than 40 outlets were found to be contaminated with the additive.
“We have realised that the outlets are adding a lot of preservatives and that’s why we are here to close some of them. We are here to safeguard the lives of our population in Nairobi,” said Dagane.
The official said tests showed that the 40 outlets that were raided in Nairobi have been using more than 1,000 per cent of the recommended preservative levels. They seized meat from the closed stores to ensure it is not sold to the public.
Sensitise public
In Machakos, the meat sections of a local supermarket were closed down over suspected chemical contamination.
In a statement, Governor Alfred Mutua termed the meat unfit for human consumption due to presence of high amounts of unspecified chemicals.
Mutua directed his officers in collaboration with the National government to probe the matter and sensitise the public to keep off the meat from the stores.
Mutua said in a statement that he had been given a laboratory report showing that a sample of meat sold at a local supermarket had 3,286mg of an additive that should not be used in meat.
Meanwhile, Naivas Supermarket yesterday said it had suspended the sale of red meat across all its stores countrywide pending the results of independent testing of its meat and assessment of its supplier base.
Willy Kimani, Naivas chief commercial officer, said the decision had been taken in the interest of its customers and will involve subjecting its whole stock of red meat to a thorough independent lab test and a step-by-step verification of each participant along the whole meat value chain.
“We will only be selling white meat for now in all our butcheries,” said Kimani.
Naivas, he added, is cooperating with National and county government agencies to address the issue.
Closure of the meat outlets came hours after Health Cabinet secretary Sicily Kariuki said 15 samples of meat collected from different supermarkets that had been raided earlier in the week showed that they contained high-levels of sulphites.
Take action
“Recent reports in respect of misuse of sulphites and non-specified food categories is a wake-up call for public health officers, among others, to be more vigilant of any contravention of public health laws that regard food safety,” said Kariuki during the inauguration of the Nursing Council and Nutrition and Dietetics Institute yesterday.
She said the government would take serious legal action against any retailer who will be found guilty of selling contaminated meat.
This development comes five days after an expose by NTV revealed that most of the meat available in the shelves contain high amounts of Sodium Bisulphate that is used to lengthen the shelf life of meat in various supermarkets.
The chemical also gives the meat a fresh appearance for a longer period, thereby preventing losses. Reporting by Alvin Mwangi, Ann Nyathira, Mutuku Mwangangi and David Ndolo
