On Monday, Mombasa County government issued a tough directive to all meat dealers within its borders amid concerns over the preservatives used.
According to a report by The Standard, the county, under Governor Ali Hassan Joho, ordered the immediate halt in meat sales for three days to determine whether meat sold in supermarkets, top butcheries and those consumed in hotels were fit for human consumption.
The ban which had earlier been placed on supermarkets was extended to other dealers like butcheries and Hotels, as reported by Nation.
Mombasa County inspectors collected meat samples from several supermarkets for inspection at Government Chemist in Nairobi.
The team that was led by the county Public Health Chief Officer, Aisha Abubakar, visited the supermarkets and interrogated officials before collecting the samples.
Abubakar noted that those that will be found culpable after the crackdown will face the full force of the law.
This move comes almost two weeks after an expose by NTV’s Dennis Okari, which showed that most supermarkets were using chemicals to preserve the red meat on their shelves.
Okari spoke to a supermarket attendant, who disclosed that sometimes, meat is laced with food sulphites, also referred to as dawa ya nyama, to make it stay longer.
The report indicated that some outlets lace meat with metabisulphite, a chemical, to keep the product looking fresh for longer, hence preventing spoilage and losses.
