Dairy stakeholders have raised alarm over the presence of high levels of aflatoxins and antibiotics in raw milk being consumed in the country.
The impurities are alleged to be caused by poor regulation, lack of milk testing and processing infrastructure along the dairy value chain.
Dairy representatives among them State Department of Livestock, County Governments and Kenya Dairy Board (KDB) blamed development, citing it causes a raise of diseases such as cancer.
Livestock Principal Secretary, Harry Kimtai, stated the industry is facing challenges due to lack of quality and safe milk resulting from poor dairy practices.
“These factors have the potential to affect the quality and safety of milk and milk products, thus compromising consumer safety,” Kimtai stated.
KDB Managing Director Margaret Kibogy added that lack of screening of raw milk has contributed to the high level of residual levels.
“The milk value chain is grappling with major challenges, most of which are as a result of unethical practices by stakeholders. For example, there is misuse of dairy cattle which to a large extent is contributing to poor quality of milk consumed in the country,” she stated.
She added that 70 per cent of the market is informal.
“The Country produces 5.2 billion litres of milk annually out of which 1.8 litres is consumed at the household level, 2.8 billion litres is sold to the informal market while local processors handle 619 million litres,” she continued.
According to Sanne Willems, the first officer in charge of food security and water at the Embassy of Netherlands in Kenya, high residual levels in aflatoxin and antibiotics in milk is a concern both locally and internationally.
