Kenyans Cautioned Over Consuming Pork & Chicken Sold in Supermarkets

A photo of chicken and pork in an aisle at a supermarket
A photo of chicken and pork in an aisle at a supermarket
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Supermarket news

The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), in liaison with the World Animal Protection, Center for Microbiology Research, on Tuesday 21, alerted Kenyans over pork and chicken sold in supermarkets.

According to the study conducted by the researchers, the meat sold in the outlets contained levels of drug-resistant bacteria that were harmful to the consumers.

Over one year, samples were collected from leading supermarkets in five towns, namely Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nanyuki, and Eldoret, and experiments were done at the government entity.

"This could escalate to a silent pandemic since people who are affected by it fall sick but the available drugs cannot treat them. The bacteria resistant to drugs is known as the superbug," the study discovered.

An image of pigs in a sty.
An image of pigs in a sty.
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In addition, according to Victor Yamo, a scientist with World Animal Protection, the problems begin at the farm when the farmer keeps the pigs and poultry in unhygienic shelters.

"It is essential to enforce high standards of food hygiene and sanitation throughout the supply chain, especially at the time of slaughter and packaging, in order to prevent the introduction of bacteria to the food and the subsequent spread of foodborne pathogens," the researcher explained.

"If you eat the chicken, or pork from the supermarkets, especially those that have antimicrobial resistance genes, it is likely to be passed down to you,” Yamo warned. 

He compared the situation to the pandemic, where three million lives were lost. Yamo stated that if the trend continues, at least 10 million people may die yearly.

"If we do not use the antibiotics we have properly, we may lose a chance to protect people from," he lamented.

According to the research, high levels of resistance to tetracycline and penicillin were among the most commonly used antibiotics.

In 2019, journalist Dennis Okari exposed how unscrupulous supermarket officials use chemicals to increase the shelf life of meat products.

In the expose, a supermarket attendant detailed how food sulphites are used on the meat to make it appear fresh and minimise loss.

The investigative article sparked debate among Kenyans who called on the government to intervene.

Former Health CS, Sicily Kariuki, assured that the Ministry collected samples from various outlets and would share the analysis results with the public. 

Chicken feeding inside their coop
Chicken feeding inside their coop.
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