A study by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and World Animal Protection researchers has found that Kenyan consumers could be eating contaminated meat from the country’s major supermarkets.
According to the study done by Patrick Muinde, John Maina, Kelvin Momanyi, Victor Yamo, John Mwaniki, and John Kiiru drawn from the World Animal Protection, Center for Microbiology Research, and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), the highest contamination was found in pork and chicken brands managed by supermarkets.
“this study suggests a high risk of food safety concerns, with chicken meat and pork from both local and international supermarkets in Kenya being found contaminated with bacterial contaminants, potentially preading foodborne illnesses.”
The survey report said 187 pork samples and 206 chicken samples were collected from six supermarket chains in six counties, including Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru, Laikipia, Uasin Gishu and Nyeri.
This study revealed that the resistance to essential classes of antibiotics, such as cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones, is not high; however, an analysis of similar data showed that resistance might be increasing over time.
Its analysis also shows worrying levels of resistance to tetracycline and penicillin, two of the most commonly used antibiotics in animal agriculture, demonstrating the necessity of responsible antibiotic use.
The study noted a high prevalence of bacteria often considered parasitic, such as E. coli at 48.4 per cent and Klebsiella spp at 19.1 per cent, and foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella spp at 17.8 per cent and Staphylococcus spp at 6.7 per cent.
Though there was a potential for cross-contamination in the fridge/freezer shelves through liquid drips from one food item to another, the study suggests that there was a likelihood of this happening because the samples were found to be shrink-wrapped in polymer plastic film bags at the time of sampling.
“Therefore, the reported bacterial contamination of pork and chicken meat might have its origins at the farm level during the slaughtering process or packaging,” the study says in part.
The contamination could also be through extensive use of antibiotics for prevention and growth promotion in chickens and pigs has been a major factor in the development of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria with zoonotic potential, which is a serious public health issue.
Kemri Analysis
The laboratory analysis done at the Centre for Microbiology Research at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), between April 2020 and July 2020 revealed that 60 per cent of the meat in supermarkets was found to have superbugs, brought about by high usage of antibiotics to treat animals.
