NAKURU: In a collaborative effort to combat foodborne illnesses and enhance public health, Nakuru County, together with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), has launched a training program for 1,213 traders on optimal food safety practices. This initiative is part of the broader County Nutrition Action Plan (CNAP) and aims to elevate food handling standards across various sectors of the food industry.
According to Kenya News Agency, Dr. Samuel Mwaura, the training will address critical aspects of food safety from production and handling to processing, preparation, and marketing. The goal is to minimize contamination risks and ensure that consumers receive safe and nutritious products. Dr. Mwaura highlighted the partnership’s focus on both food safety and fair trade practices, emphasizing the economic impact of unsafe food on both the economy and local businesses.
The program involves multiple departments within the County, including Health, Trade, and Agriculture, as well as field officers fro
m GAIN. Participants include shopkeepers, agricultural and livestock product traders, hoteliers, and last-mile vendors from all 11 sub-counties of Nakuru. These efforts are geared toward meeting consumers’ daily dietary needs through safe and nutritious foods.
Dr. Mwaura, during a meeting with GAIN Country Director Ms. Ruth Okowa, stressed the broader implications of food safety, noting its potential to prevent diseases such as SARS, avian influenza, and tuberculosis, as well as control common pathogens like salmonella. He also mentioned that an additional 30 healthcare workers are receiving specialized training on food fortification, further bolstering disease prevention measures.
County Executive Committee Member for Health, Ms. Roselyn Mungai, detailed ongoing initiatives to promote Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) among local farmers, enhancing their access to more lucrative markets. She also spoke about efforts to provide food safety information to both producers and consumers through public awareness
campaigns and field days, empowering them to adopt safe practices actively.
Additionally, Ms. Mungai announced follow-up training sessions for Sub County Food Safety Focal Persons, Public Health Officers, and Nutritionists, all aimed at strengthening food safety and fortification knowledge across the region.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified foodborne diseases as a significant public health issue, comparable in burden to diseases like cancer and tuberculosis in Africa. The WHO estimates that globally, 1 in 10 people become ill due to contaminated food annually, with approximately 420,000 resulting deaths. In Kenya, foodborne diseases cause roughly 1,140 deaths per 100,000 people each year, underlining the critical need for robust food safety measures.
In response to these challenges, the Nakuru County Assembly is advancing the Nakuru Food and Feed Safety, Quality Control Coordination Bill 2024, aimed at further safeguarding public health from food and feed contamination.
