The Ministry of Health has outlawed the transportation of vegetables and fruits in open trucks across the country with immediate effect. The Ministry of Health has outlawed the transportation of vegetables and fruits in open trucks across the country with immediate effect. The ministry noted that the unhygienic transportation was exposing the produce to contamination by bacteria and heavy metals. According to the Chief Public Health officer Kepha Ombacho, recent studies had established the presence of lead in un-hygienically transported vegetables. Ombacho noted that the move to transport the food items in open picks up posed a major threat to consumers. “This unhygienic transportation exposes the food to contamination with microbial chemical hazards such as bacteria and heavy metals,” he said. He noted that the law required that food should be protected from external contaminants during transport by making sure that the vehicles were completely covered. The health officer noted that the covers were meant to protect the food items from dust, exhaust fumes and weather elements during transport. He directed county officers of health to scale up surveillance by making sure that the transporters followed the law for the safety of the consumers. “The protection and assurance of the safety of the consumer and general public is paramount to the ministry,” he said.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 14:31:35 +0000
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