Kenyan researchers have raised the alarm over high rate of contaminated milk in the market due to poor handling and lack of quality control.
The warning is based on a study conducted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) which revealed that about 50 per cent of milk samples collected from the counties of Nakuru, Laikipia and Nyandarua, were contaminated.
The report showed that out of 493 milk samples tested, 237 were contaminated with Pseudomonas spp while traces of Escherichia coli (E. coli) were 207 samples.
According to ILRI, E. coli strains are known to cause urinary tract infections, respiratory illness, pneumonia, and other illnesses.
Pseudomonas spp on the other hand can cause infections in the blood, lungs (pneumonia), or other parts of the body.
Speaking to KBC, Professor Joseph Motofari, a researcher based at Egerton University, pointed out laxity by the relevant government agency in charge, calling for immediate action to end poor milk handling by vendors.
"To control the adulteration is to have the Dairy Board to be more active in terms to quality control.," Motofari stated.
Safety of milk according to Motofari is dependent on microbiological, chemical or physical measures. Micro-organisms are commonly found in the environment, and if the commodity is not handled with care, can pose huge risk to human health.
"if your milk is not handled keenly, it's posing a huge risk to human health. Perhaps the dairy board needs more staff to ensure quality control of the commodity in the country," Motofary added.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), unsafe food containing bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances cause more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhea to cancer.
This poses a huge risk since milk forms part of the staple food Kenyans consume daily, especially among children for breakfast.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) states that milk production activities for Kenya's marketed milk increased from 668.2 million litres in 2020 to 682.3 million litres in 2021.
