Three counties are struggling with the proliferation of street foods and outside catering that are a threat to food safety.

In a bid to monitor the efficacy of the foods to health of human body, Nairobi, Nyandarua and Nakuru have developed bylaws to regulate triple challenge of street foods, outside catering and online food vending.

Public Health Officers (PHOs) from the three counties disclosed that the devolved units, despite lack of adequate capacity, are changing tact in dealing with the new trends caused by increase in population and number of businesses dealing in food chains to ensure the foods meet set standards particularly those that are required to be fortified.

Mandatory fortified foods in Kenya include wheat and maize flours, edible oils and salt. But the officers said some foods in the market do not comply with fortification standards.

They were speaking in Naivasha during a three day nutrition stakeholders meeting jointly organized by Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Kenya chapter and CARE Kenya.

Refilling business

A Public Health Officer from Nairobi Sammy Kamwaro said in addition to the foods, commercial drinking water refilling businesses is another area of health concern.

“We are getting concerned because we don’t know where these foods are being cooked and how they are carried to the serving points,” said Kamwaro.

Kamwaro said Nairobi reported 37 food poisoning outbreaks, affecting 926 individuals between 2013 to date.

Kamwaro said the public health department in the City has been enforcing the Nairobi County Food Safety and Fortification Act 2024 to fight use of hydrogen peroxide, formalin and antibiotic in milk and other dairy products to extend shelf life, use of transformer oil to fry chips and use of paracetamol to hasten cooking process.

John Mugwanja said because of Nakuru County’s strong agricultural base, it has numerous local markets where fresh produce, dairy and livestock products are sold. He said informal vendors and markets are popular among consumers presenting unique food safety challenges in the devolved unit.

He said the County has a raft of bylaws it uses to enforce food safety requirements. They include Nakuru County public health Act of 2017, Meat Control Act cap 356, National Food Safety policy of 2013 and School health policy

“We have established a County food laboratory to do aflatoxin, to check presence of hydrogen peroxide in milk, and heavy metals as well pesticide residues in fresh produce,” Mugwanja said.

In Nyandarua, low investment in food safety surveillance systems was cited as a major hindrance to ensuring nutritional quality of foods consumed in the County.

Harun Njoroge who is a public health officer in Nyandarua said the County lacks food testing laboratory and sampling equipment. He said low capacity building among staff is another food safety challenge facing the County.