Food Safety Management status in Red

meat abattoirs in Kenya.

Overview of 6 counties

Presentation by Dr. John Waweru Sealed Air Eastern and Southern Africa.

Prepared by George Nyamu, Land O Lakes KSALES project and Dr. John

Waweru, Sealed Air, KSALES project

KSALES Project

KSALES – Kenya Semi Arid Livestock Enhancement support project

A Land O lakes Project, Funded by USDA

Executed by Sealed Air ( Diversey Eastern and Central Africa Limited) on behalf of Land O lakes in collaboration with County governments of Tharaka Nithi, Meru, Kitui, Makueni, Machakos and Taita Taveta

KSALES ProjectProject has two strategic objectives namely;

1. Increase agricultural productivity

2. Expand trade of Agricultural products

The objectives will be achieved through implementation of the following components namely ;

1. Facilitating Farmer field schools

2. Increasing access to clean Water systems

3. Developing Business service providers

4. Improving on farm and off farm infrastructure

5. Facilitating Agricultural lending

6. Providing training in Post harvest handling and processing

7. Developing the Business capacity of cooperatives and association

This presentation is based on the Post harvest handling component findings

Background Information

Food safetyAssurance that food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared and/or eaten according to its intended use.

Legal requirement controlling this in the Red meat sector in Kenya is the Meat Control regulations 2010. This was used in KSALES project as a basis of assessment of the extent of compliance in a total of 36 slaughter points in 6 counties of Kenya namely;

1. Tharaka Nithi

2. Meru

3. Kitui

4. Makueni

5. Machakos

6. Taita Taveta

Meat Control (Local Slaughterhouse ) Regulations 2010

Stipulates the legal requirements relating to

1. Slaughter house site and accessibility

2. Sanitation

3. Hygiene practices

4. conditions and facilities for meat inspection

5. Disposal of condemned carcasses and parts

6. Re - inspection of products and processes to be supervised

7. Marking and labeling of meat and meat containers

8. Records

9. Categorization of slaughter houses

Elements of a Food Safety

Management system

Food safety baseline determination

Hygiene Audits conducted on 36 slaughter houses in 6 counties.

Criteria used was Meat control regulations 2010

Findings are reported below;

Findings: Site Accessibility & Construction

County

# of

slaughter

houses

audited

# with at

least 80%

compliance

Tharaka Nithi 6 1

Meru 5 1

kitui 4 0

Makueni 6 1

Machakos 7 1

Taita Taveta 5 2

Site Accesibility and Construction

Findings: Site Accessibility & Construction

.Main issues of non compliance

1. Encroachment by residential houses and other

businesses

2. Slaughter house located next to the river

3. Inadequate facilities for bleeding in hanging

position

4. No lairages in most cases

5. Inadequate segregation of dirty from clean

processing areas

5. Lack of means of humane killing

Findings: Sanitation/Hygiene Practices

Sanitation

County

# of

slaughter

houses

audited

# with at

least 80%

compliance

Tharaka Nithi 6 0

Meru 5 0

kitui 4 0

Makueni 6 0

Machakos 7 0

Taita Taveta 5 0

Sanitation

Findings: Sanitation/Hygiene Practices

1. Lack of hot water or any other means of disinfection

2. Poor water supply in some slaughter houses

3. Unsatisfactory cleaning results

4. Lack of protective clothing

5. Offals are not identifiable with the carcass (in most cases identifiable with the owner which is inadequate where one has more than one carcass)

6. Lack of hand washing soap and dedicated hand washing facilities/basins

7. Condemned parts pit not under lock and key in most slaughter houses

Staff CompetenceIn all the audited slaughter houses no manager had attended the mandatory

certificate in Food hygiene management

Food handling staff had not attended the prescribed training in Food safety

twice a year

Lack/non use of protective

clothing

Flaying Techniques training

Opportunities and steps taken by KSALES team and respective county governments1. Training of all workers in the meat value chain in relevant hygiene aspects

2. Workshop for slaughter house owners

3. Workshops with meat inspectors and supervising Veterinary Doctors to

refresh on the requirements of the meat control (local slaughterhouse)

regulations 2010

4. Linkages of business people in the chain with Financial institutions

5. Initiating county red meat chain stakeholders forums to address common

challenges

Challenges that require to be

addressed1. Management of County government owned slaughter facilities is a challenge

and enforcement of the law is somewhat challenging

2. Low Kill/throughput undermines viability of most entities and their ability to

meet costs associated with compliance

4. Political interference in the enforcement of the law

5. Lack of food safety awareness among the consumers

6. Lack of enforcement of the slaughter houses categorization

6. Tools and equipment including knives,

Recommended Actions 1. Enforcement of the meat control regulations in all counties should be prioritized,

including categorization.

2. Although this is a devolved function, central government should retain Supervisory

control and should conduct periodic inspections and issue appropriate directives

where food safety violation is evident.

3. Following the devolvement of the function there is need for forums to sensitize

relevant county government departments on the essence meat inspection, disease

control, and food safety assurance beyond revenue generation.

4. Trade associations formation should be encouraged as a forum for discussing

industry concerns and also forum via which policies can be communicated to

members.

5. Investments in value addition including packaging to capture emerging middle class

consumers served in supermarket outlets