The Nairobi County has moved in to save its face after an expose revealing use of deadly chemicals such as Sodium Metabisulphite in the preservation of meat was released causing alarm among meat lovers in the Country.
Nairobi County has shut down more than six meat outlets in six major supermarkets in the County revealing ugly greed to make profits at the cost of human life.
The Governor, Mike Sonko, seeming to be in the reaction of the expose has directed that county health officers intensify the crackdown and ensure consumers are protected from crooked traders.
Members of the public, however, expressed their frustration regarding the County’s failure to ensure safe foods in the outlets and seeming to react instead of acting as ought to be.
The Nairobi Health Executive, Mohamed Dagane said that samples drawn from Tuskys supermarket located along Kenyatta Avenue had indications of the meat containing over 63,000 milligrams per kilogram of Sodium Metabisulphite, a preservative, while the maximum limit required is 500 milligrams per kilogram/GPS.
Dagane revealed that key officials from the six supermarkets would be arraigned in court to face charges of endangering human life as he added that “We exist to protect human lives”.
Nairobi Deputy Director of Public Health, Wilson Lang’at, said that the county would expand the crackdown to butcheries and all eateries in the County.
List of Supermarkets Found to be Selling Poisonous Meat
- The point Naivas limited Buruburu – 15,604mg/kg
- Muthaiga fine Meat Limited – 8783mg/kg
- Naivas Gateway Mall – 3386 mg/kg
- Tuskys supermarket – 63000mg/kg
In Machakos County, Governor Mutua has called for the shutdown of all the butchery sections for Naivas supermarket in his County.
Meanwhile, Naivas has suspended the sale of red meat across all its stores in the country saying they would carry out independent testing of its meat and assessment of its supplier base.
Willy Kimani, Naivas Chief Commercial Officer, noted that the action was in the interest of its customers. “We will only be selling white meat for now in all our butcheries,” Kimani said.
Kenyans have for decades been challenged by unscrupulous individuals who are out to make profits regardless of the danger they pose to human life. Some of the products said to be laced with poisonous chemicals include meats, fruits lased with ripening chemicals, rice, sugar amongst others.