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Overlooked link in food security

food

The food safety agenda is already prominent in the global arena. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The Government of Kenya, within its big four agenda, has given prominence to food and nutritional security as one of its main development pillars. Rightly so, since a well-fed nation is crucial for productivity and contribution to the country’s economic growth. However, this pillar is often misconstrued to solely refer to enhanced food production and equitable volumes.

Fundamentally, food and nutritional security is inextricably linked to food safety. The World Health Organization notes that food-borne diseases are responsible for a comparable burden of illness such as cancer and tuberculosis in Africa, with young children bearing the brunt of it. The resulting health cost implications and threat to productivity is incapacitating.

Kenya’s exports are thoroughly grown or produced to meet Codex Alimentarius and other standards required for international trade.

At the very core of these standards is safety and protection of consumer health by addressing issues such as food additives, contaminants and hygiene practices. This year alone has seen several media reports of contamination and adulteration by unscrupulous value chain actors.

While the regulatory and governance bodies such as the National Food Safety Coordination Committee, Kenya Dairy Board , Horticultural Crops Directorate and Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) are keen on enhancing safety standards, there is the lingering challenge of poor coordination and inadequate human resource and laboratory testing capacity. There is also absence of a traceability system that is central to figuring out points and sources of contamination for control.

The ongoing saga on contraband sugar whose safety remains a subject of contestation between government agencies clearly shows that food safety control is a cause for concern in Kenya.

The challenges posed above present an opportune chance for consumers and all value chain actors to rally behind the food safety agenda and lobby that policymakers reinvigorate the process to pass the draft Food Safety Policy which provides establishment of a Food Safety Authority.

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In addition, lobby transformation of the Kenya Consumer Protection Advisory Committee into a fully-fledged agency with mandate to assure safe marketplace for all consumers. This will provide the comprehensive legal and regulatory framework needed to alleviate safety issues.

The food safety agenda is already prominent in the global arena.

There are talks within the United Nations to have an annual World Food Safety Day aimed at raising awareness on food-borne diseases and to urge governments, private sector and consumers to do more to make food safe.

Notably, this year’s World Environmental Health Day in September will focus on global food safety.

While national and global efforts on food safety are laudable, they will only bear fruit if you, the consumer, is keen on the safety of your food. After all, it is not in vain that Article 43 of the Kenyan Constitution grants you the right to the highest attainable standard of health and adequate food of acceptable quality.

WANJA WANJIRU, Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS International).