A host of related
trends—including the proliferation of modern food retail outlets—has led to
increased consumption of unhealthy processed packaged foods.
The report by the non-profit Access to
Nutrition Initiative found that under those rules, 90 per cent of products sold
by both international and local companies contained too much salt, sugar, or
saturated fat.
Around 75 per cent of the products would also
be deemed "unhealthy" based on models used internationally, like
Nutri-Score, which, unlike the Kenyan model, also takes into account positive
nutrients.
The first
independent assessment of the healthiness of the product portfolios of 30 major
food and beverage companies by Nutrition Markets Impact in Kenya shows that
between 2017 and 2023, sales of (ultra-) processed packaged foods
have increased by 16 per cent.
This shift is contributing to
rising obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs): adult obesity has tripled since 2000.
Kenya has shown limited
progress towards achieving the diet-related non-communicable disease (NCD)
targets. 13.4 per cent of adult (aged 18 years and over) women and 3.6 per cent
of adult men are living with obesity.
Even so, the country’s
obesity prevalence is lower than the regional average of 20.8 per cent for
women and 9.2 per cent for men. At the same time, diabetes is estimated to
affect 7.3 per cent of adult women and seven per cent of adult men.
“Kenya
is at this tipping point where they could follow in the path of
countries like the U.S., where we are seeing high levels of obesity and
overweight, or they could act now to try to prevent that,” ATNI's head of
Policy, Katherine Pittore, said.
According
to her, the nutrient model and the Kenyan government’s commitment
to using it to put in place a warning label, one of the first African
governments to take such steps, were signs that they are taking action.
At the same time,
undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies persist, with 79 per cent of Kenyans unable to afford a
healthy diet.
The
situation is so dire that the government has drafted rules requiring a health warning label.
While specific legislation is
still under consideration, the country is working towards increased regulation
of food labelling to promote public health.
Seven out
of 12 assessed companies fortify their products, including Bidco and Kapa Oil, which fortify edible oils with vitamins A & D; Capwell fortifies maize and wheat
flour, in line with Kenyan regulations.
Only Flora
FG was found to have a public global commitment to fortify only ‘healthy’
products based on their criteria, and to fortify in line with Codex and
WHO/FAO guidelines.
Among the
746 products assessed, 140 (19 per cent) were fortified, including 120 (11 per
cent) that were voluntarily fortified. Only 32 per cent of fortified
products meet the HSR ‘healthy’ threshold.
Overall
healthiness is low across 30 companies, with substantial variation between
companies: only 33 per cent of 746 products meet the ‘healthy’ threshold under
HSR (≥3.5 stars), rising to 38 per cent when weighted by sales.
Incorporation
of micronutrients is low across 30 companies, with substantial variation
between companies: only 33 per cent of 746 products meet the ‘healthy’
threshold under HSR 3.5, rising to 38 per cent when weighted by sales.
Incorporating
micronutrients increases these figures to 36 and 42 per cent, respectively.
The World
Health Organization (WHO) flags just 14
of the products (23 per cent sales-weighted) are eligible to be marketed to children.
At least 10
per cent “pass” the Kenyan NPM, meaning that they would not require one or more
warning labels.
According
to the report, Bidco, New KCC, and Capwell were found to market their products
as affordable, healthy, or nutritious.
However,
they had not published a nutrition strategy with specific criteria for defining
affordability or healthiness.
Kapa Oil
reports tracking product prices relative to competitors in Kenyan supermarkets.
Flora FG measured affordability by tracking household penetration of their
products among lower-income groups in Kenya.
Five
companies—Coca-Cola, Flora FG, Kapa Oil, Kevian, and Nestlé—disclosed practices
aligned with at least one pillar of workforce nutrition: healthy food at work,
nutrition-focused health checks, nutrition education, and breastfeeding support.
Three
Kenya-headquartered companies—Brookside, Capwell, and Kevian—mention their role
in providing nutritious or healthy foods on their websites.
ATNI has previously tracked products globally
and in countries like the U.S. and India, but the Kenya report, alongside one
from Tanzania, is the first of its kind in Africa.
It urges investors to
prioritise investment in companies that demonstrate progress, including transparency in nutrition-related policies,
responsible marketing, and workforce nutrition initiatives.
Furthermore, ATNI
supports companies aligning with national and
international nutrition standards and those offering healthier product
portfolios that contribute to Kenya’s public health goals.
