Kenyans have been cautioned over the health hazards posed by fish hawked along the busy Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, the secretary-general of Kenya Association Of Food Safety And Protection (KAFSAP), Dr. Juliana Kiio, discouraged consumers from purchasing the product, adding that most vendors don't adhere to the correct food preservation methods.
She further brought to light the risk of the fish being contaminated before it is sold, further questions also posed whether the consumers get to know where the water masses from where the fish is sourced and the potential risk of attracting food-borne illnesses.
"For me, it's a personal decision to purchase the fish sold on the road. You find the fish on the road, especially as you go past Naivasha along the highway you don't know the contaminants, and preservatives, including the hygiene of the vendor handling the fish. Further, we don't know where the fish is sourced from, so it poses a huge risk to the consumer," he stated.
In most cases, the food vendors attract a greater demand due to the fact that they provide a cheaper alternative.
Alluding to this, she stated that the expense is relative based on the consumer as in the end one could incur a higher cost should they fall sick and seek treatment.
She compared the fish hawked to other cooked delicacies sold such as smokies, samosas, and sausages.
"Definitely cheap is expensive as you will spend more money for treatment. In the case of cooked food, it is a different scenario such as cooked samosas, and smokies that are sold on the road as they pass through heat. On matters of food safety, it is not the right channel," she noted.
Kiio noted that the matter ought to be looked at from three perspectives: government, consumer and food vendors.
"In the case of the consumer, it is all about sensitisation as no one forces you to buy."
"For the food vendors, they should have gone through the normal licensing procedure in order to be certified as indicated by the Ministry of Health. It is also a point to note that the government has not done enough on sensitisation to food vendors even the likes of mama mboga," she stated.
