Fresh fruits and Vegetables on shelves

Unsuspecting consumers in the Kenyan market are not concerned as to where this healthy class of food is actually grown
or what agronomic practices they are subjected to. Unlike in the European market where food safety is taken very
seriously by regulatory bodies, our national organisations either lack the capacity or interest to do what they are
mandated to do(or they presume our stomach have a way of defending itself).
It is worthwhile to note that what is supplied to our retail supermarkets (Nakumatt, Tuskys, Uchumi) is a reject often
not good enough to be exported to the Asian or European markets. Kenyans have been reduced to consumers of second or
third grade foods which are inadvertedly called fresh. One aspect which qualifies our companies to export to either Asia
or Europe is the ability to trace all materials (seeds, pesticides, fumigation records, other raw materials, and even
personnel health records).
Traceability thus becomes a general criterion to be met, enabling one to determine what chemical was used, what time,
and its residual percentage that remains in what gets to your table. Stringent levels are supposed to be observed by
organisations like Horticultural Crops Development Authority, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services and Pest Control
and Produce Board and Kenya Bureau of Standards.
Large market players like Vegpro K Limited, Frigoken Kenya, East Africa Growers have been able to have a breakthrough
by having their own farms which makes it easy to adhere to the stringent acceptable procedures put forward by
international standards. However, not all the produce can meet these requirements, begging the question where does it
go?
Smaller traders like Fresh n Juici , Mugoya Vegetables and many other contracted farmers by the retail stores fall in a
different category where safety is barely overlooked. And since they do not meet international regulations they cannot
export their products. This low quality produces in the name of fresh fruits and vegetables are what you get on our local
retail shelves at a cheaper cost.
One may ask, are the produce exported to EU where testing is done and when they fail the test; they are then resent back
to Kenya? How do they get back into the Kenyan market upon rejection in the EU if we don't test them here in Kenya?
Trained quality analysts in these companies have the ability to identify what does not conform to the intended market;
this is rejected and isolated prior to shipment. Alternative market is found and the product is dumped in that shelf you
pick it from. There are also internationally recognized laboratories here in Kenya where microbial tests are conducted
and a certificate of analysis must accompany products to where they are exported.
As consumers therefore we should be wary of what we perceive as fresh, and our food safety organisations must be more
willing and empowered to protect us.
Ershards Okello