The professional body of veterinarians has called for action against slaughterhouses that sell meat from animals that die in the holding pens.
The Kenya Veterinary Association national chairman Samuel Kahariri said a shortage of meat inspectors made it difficult to conduct pre-slaughter examinations.
Kahariri said the shortage has caused a sharp rise in unscrupulous traders who take sick, feverish animals for slaughter.
He said the preparation of the carcasses for meat could result in the spread of animal-transmitted diseases.
“This may explain why unscrupulous traders resort to chemical compounds to prolong the shelf life and improve the appearance of the carcasses as recently exposed by the media,” he said.
He said veterinarians play a critical role in overseeing and certifying that all food of animal origin complies with the set animal health and food standards.
“This enables the country to guarantee food safety and improve access to international markets for the animal and animal products,” he said.
Addressing the press in Naivasha, Kahariri said the meat industry was facing uncertainties due to a shortage of veterinarians.
He said the illegal use of preservatives had contributed to the rise in diseases such as cancer that continue to have devastating effects on Kenyans.
“Further the chemical preservatives are used on supposedly fresh meat and therefore fed to unsuspecting customers who may suffer varying health complications,” he said.
The association has made requests to the government to outlaw any use of the chemical preservatives in all the meat outlets that are not involved in processing and packaging, he said.
“In cases where chemical preservatives are used, the products must be clearly labelled indicating the amounts used and this will enable the consumers to make informed decisions,” he said.
He called on the government to conduct an urgent audit of all the slaughter facilities across the country and ensure that each has a meat inspector.
“The government should revamp the animal resource industry by employing at least 50 additional veterinary doctors to replace the retired officers,” he said.
(edited by O. Owino)
