Africa-Press – Kenya. Kenya’s plan to enhance food safety in the country continues to take shape.
This is after a team from the Ministry of Health made their submissions to the proposed Food And feed Safety Control Coordination Bill, 2023.
The team led by the PS Public Health and professional standards made their submissions before the National Assembly Agriculture and Livestock Committee on Wednesday.
The team has backed the bill which comes in the wake of outbreaks of foodborne diseases in the country.
“This Bill is a critical step in effectively coordinating all authorities involved in food control, and it plays a pivotal role in ensuring food safety in our nation. The ministry stands firmly behind it,” PS Public Health Mary Muthoni said.
The Bill which is sponsored by the State Department for Agriculture and Livestock seeks to coordinate public institutions involved in ensuring the safety of food and feed products.
The ministry has noted that with more than 200 diseases linked to contaminated food and water, enhancing food safety is a vital aspect of reducing healthcare costs and promoting public health.
The bill seeks to give relevant authorities in both the national and county governments the mandate to conduct random tests on various food products in the market with the aim of reducing increasing cases of food poisoning in the market.
During the engagement, the PS submitted proposed amendments to the bill on behalf of the ministry, aiming to address policy gaps, strengthen food safety measures, and enhance verification mechanisms.
The bill seeks to establish the office of the controller whose board chairperson will be appointed by the President; as well as the establishment of county food and feed safety control coordinating committees.
The Controller in consultation with competent authorities shall ensure that only designated laboratories conduct official analysis for food and feed safety control.
Legislators have acknowledged that the bill will promote a robust and well-coordinated framework for food and feed safety.
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