Tuesday Se~6 smart company

ALARM )) THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS HAVE SEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION HEIGHTEN SURVEILLANCE 0

Consumer lobby groups have raised concerns that vegetables and fruits t hat are denied entry into the Euronea export market for failure to meet the set healt h standards are being repackaged and sold locally

BY MWANIKI WAHOME (lt1 mlkrv~h~me

jwahomekenationmediacom

KenY~ eould be unlmowlngly exshyposing themselves to serious health rIsks by consuming fresh produce rejected by the European markets for containing harmful chemicals

Consumer lobby groups have raised concerns that vegetables and fruits that are denied entry into th e European market for failure to meet the sel heaUh standards are being repackaged and sold locally eventually finding their way into the plates of Kenyans

The European Union has heightened surveillance on fresh produce originating from Kenya after frequent tests showed that the products do not meet the set minimum reSidue levels

About 11 compnnies have nJready been temporarily banned from exporting their produce

While the government cl aims to have intensified surveillance to ensure farmers comply with International beruth standshy

There Is no clear system In Kenya throughards there is no clear system through which vegetables and fruits that filII to meet which vegetables and fruits that fail to International standards are destroyed Belowmeet standards are destroyed Kephls managing director James OnsandoFears are that some unscrupulous trad shyJOSEPH kANYI I NATION ers could be repackaging and offioading

the same products in local outlets for Kenyans to consume Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services

The situation is worrying as the reshy was last year declared unable to conduct jected foods are finding their way to the pesticide analysis Currently the pesticide local market without anyone raising a analysis is carried out In Europe finger What Is not ideal for Ule European We agreed on the destruction of reshymarket is not for the local market said Jected export products in November last Consumer Federation of Kenya secretaryshy year bUl t ills will not happen as chcn1ishygeneral Stephen Mutoro cal analysis on tb~se products is done

We are rtlising the red flag for consumshy in Europe We have been urging Kephlsers to be aware of the food they buy from to invest in reclaiming its mandate tothe market carry out these tests here but this has yet

Because of the stricter monitoring of to happen Tllis is part of the frustrationthese products mmy e(porting compamiddot we have been facing said Fresh Produce nies repeatedly find themselves stuck with Exporters Association of Kenya chairman rejected stocks Mr Stephen Mbitbi

Players who spoke to the 5mult Com shy The situation has put government au shypany said a decision to destroy the pro shy thori ties charged with ensuring compli shyduce could face legal h urdles since the ance with safety standards in the spotlight

for failing in their tole Agricul ture Cabinet Secre tary Felix

Ulclt~i I~Qt nnn1-h C~-1n thJI anuonnuU

IPS have raised les and fruits

into the ellropean Jure to mee rds are being locally

BY MWANIKI WAHOME w~~illtlvilhom

jwahoe(wkonat onmediacom

5 could be unknowingly exshylselves to serious health risks 19 fresh produce rejected by an markets for containing nicals

lobby groups have raised at vegetables and fruits that entry into the European

allure to meet Ole set health re being repackaged and sold ltually findJng their way into Kenyans pean Union has heightened on fresh produce originating after frequent tests showed

oducts do not meet the set sidue levels companies bavc already been banned [rom e(porting their

bull government claims to have urveillance to ensure fanners 11 international heruth stand-is no clear system through

tables and fruits that fail to uds are destroyed that some unscrupulous trad shye repackaging and offloading )roducts in local outlets for consume 18tion is worrying as the re shys are finding their way to the et without anyone raising a t is not ideal for the European lot for the local market said Iederation of Kenya secretaryshyphen Mutoro eising the red flag for consWTIshy

lare of the food they buy from

of the stricter monitoring of lets many exporting compashy~dly find themselves stuck with cks Ibo spoke to the Smart ComshyI decisIon to destroy the pro-face legal hurdles since the

There 15 no clear system tn Kenya through which vegetables and fruits that fall to meet International standards are destroyed Below Kephls managing dJrector James Onsando JOSEPH kAN YI I NATION

Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services was last year declared unable to conduct pesticide analysis Currently the pesticide analysis is carried out in Europe

We agreed on the destruction of reshyJected export products in November lssl year but this will not happen as chemishycal analysis on these products is done in Europe We have been urging Kephis to Invest in reclaiming its mandate to carry out these tests here but this has yet to happen This is part of the frustration we have been facing said Fresh Produce Exporters AsSOCiation of Kenya chairman Mr Stephen Mbithl

The situation has put government aushythorities charged with ensuring complishyance with safety standards in the spotlight fOT failing in their role

Agriculture Cabin et Secretary Felix Koskei last month said the government had put in place a new requirement that all export produce that faits to meet the required standards is destroyed immedishyately

TI1I new mle the minister said was crafted after it was discovered that some traders were illegally exporting rejected produce through partner companies or through other lmrelated registered comshypanies Mr Mbilhi admitted tbat the level of pesticides in vegetables consumed 10shy

cally is alarmingly high sineI there are no efforts whatsoever to enforce compliltlJ1ce or control Ule use of pesUcides by fllrm~ ers most of whom la(k the km~wledge of health lisks of Ising these rhemicals

We have been pushing Kepbis to take action on local produce that bas even higher pesticide residue levels but nothing has (ume out of tbe effort We hold that similar standards should be maintained whether it is Europe or local market Mr Mbithl said According to a review

report prepu-ec1 by the EuropefU1 in November last year the pre t

inspection officials at Kephis were pressure due to huge volumes and only four minutes on a lot

Both Kephis and the Kenya Bun Standards refused to respond to que about the likelihood of rejected pn retaiiing in the local markets

Kephis managing director lame sando was recently sent on comp leave to pave the way for Investig

THE SITUATION IS WORRYING AS THE REJECTED FOOvS ARE FINDING THEIR WAY TO TH~ LOCAL MARKET WITHOUT ANYONE RAISING A FINGER

Cofek secretary-general Stephen Mutoro

s

INATING FROM KENYA AFTER A NUMBER OF TESTS SHOWED THE PRODUCTS DID NOT MEET MINIMUM SET STANDARDS

on the Increasing cases of non-comshypliant exports The EU has given the COWltry up to the end of September to ensure all produce meant for the market meets the required minimum residual levels for pesticides or face trade restrictions The decision means that about 6000 farmers have to meet the set standards to be allowed to export to the European Union

The names of the 11 firms that were banned bave not been disclosed

Some export ers breach this reshyqllirement from either use of proshyhibited chemicals or not observing harvesting timelines once crops are sprayed

The organisations charged with the responsibility of ensuring food safety are Horticultural Crops Deshyvelopment Authority Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services and Pest Control and Produce Board and Kenya Bureau of Standards

EU warned last month on inshycreased monitoring of fresh produce exports over failure to meet the pestishycide minimum residual levels

The Food and Veterlnary ofshyfice of E U Health and Consumers Directorate-General has conducted three audits to your country In 2007 2009 2 013 Each of these found sigshynlfLcant shortcomings and despite the submissions of satisfactory acshytion plans interceptions continue at 3 high level the EU said

of Shl4 billion to enhance quality asshysessment in institutions dealing with certiftcatlon of exports

The StoI1dm ds and Markel Access Programme under which the fund will be managed will see Kephis Kebs and veterinary services departshyment shart the money to step up their capacity to monitor the marshyket SMAP wUl strengthen Kenyas regulatory framework and capacity for certification of animal and plantshybased products Mr Koskei said at SerefUl Hotel Nairobi when he signed the agreement

Kebs will get SI1365 million out of which Sh250 million will go to purshychasing equipment for the testing laboratories and the rest will be used in training staff

Ongwae said the money would be released within a week and the tenshydering process was about to start

The objective is to enhance qualshyity and compliance of standards for exports anu lllcal food market by providing testing equipment and setshyting up monitoring systems

The United Nations Industrial Deshyvelopment Orgtll1isation will educate farmers processors and traders on sanitary nllyt )$anitary and commershycial stanrlank otCJllireti

Ken)ll hIlS I n under the EU radar for UlrC~ middot )e13 after being subjected to 10 pl r COil lule for high residual levels anJ l~ Ilghting another battle after some mmgoes were found to be

Last week the EU provided a grant Agriculture Cabinet secretary Felix Koskel infected by fruit fly