Safe Food, Fair Food: Participatory risk analysis for improving the safety of informally produced and marketed food in sub-Saharan Africa

Millions of small-scale farmers efficiently supply the great majority of the meat and milk market in Africa. Surging demand for livestock products (the “livestock revolution”) is an unprecedented opportunity for setting poor farmers on pathways out of poverty, but to gain maximum benefit they must be able to produce safe food of acceptable quality. Currently, most smallholder livestock products are sold in informal markets where conventional regulation and inspection methods have failed and where private or civil sector alternatives have not emerged: as a consequence, most livestock-derived food products contain high levels of hazards. Quantitative risk-based approaches for assessing and managing food safety offer a powerful new method for reducing the enormous health burden imposed by food borne disease, while taking into account other societal goals such as pro-poor growth. However, application to food safety problems in Africa has been limited. We discuss some of the constraints and a new approach which can help overcome these: Participatory Risk Analysis, and give examples of its current application in west, east and south Africa

Costs of aflatoxin in the Kenyan dairy value chain

Kenya's dairy industry plays an important economic role in the life of farmers, milk processors, milk traders, feed manufacturers and traders. This industry contributes 14% of the agricultural gross domestic product (GDP) and 3.5 % of the total GDP. In Kenya, the dairy sector, and especially milk production, is exposed to different risk contamination factors which will not only affect the product quality but also its innocuity. Economic costs of aflatoxin contamination could be split into two categories: direct market costs and human health costs. Using agro-ecological zones, five counties in Kenya — Kwale, Isiolo, Tharaka Nithi, Kisii, and Bungoma — were selected randomly for this study. For direct costs, questionnaires were directed to feed retailers, milk producers, milk traders and feed producers. Food and feed samples (99 dairy feed, 286 milk, 386 staples (maize, millet, sorghum groundnuts and cassava) were collected for laboratory aflatoxin analysis (ongoing) to estimate the aflatoxin daily consumption rates in people and dairy cattle. In the case of health costs, primary and secondary data are being collected to assess the estimated cost of aflatoxin in Kenya. Following Rico-Sole (2012) and introducing an additional weighting factor related to the proportion of aflatoxin provided by milk consumption, the health expenditure costs related to aflatoxin through milk will be estimated. It is possible to assess health costs using secondary data provided by the national health statistics in Kenya (health expenditure, diseases, number of the population, number of exposed population etc.) and fixing values for the remaining variables on the basis of literature review. However, the uncertainties about the actual health impacts of aflatoxin exposure in a population make it difficult to fully evaluate the burden. The approach in this study follows the risks of exposure at different steps in the dairy value chain and includes consumer surveys. This will provide increased knowledge about the risks and a basis for improved assessments of the costs

Analysis of public health risks from consumption of informally marketed milk in Kenya

Despite an unfavourable policy environment against informal milk markets, these markets account for most milk sales in Kenya. Convenient delivery and lower prices are the principal benefits for poor consumers. Current milk handling and safety regulations in Kenya are derived from models in industrialised countries. These may not be appropriate for local market conditions. An important step in targeting policies better is to collect quantitative and qualitative information about milk-borne health risks under different marketing situations. Preliminary results of assessments of milk quality and handling practices of informal milk market agents and consumers in central Kenya show very low apparent prevalence of zoonotic health hazards in milk from the smallholder herds that contribute most marketed milk. Higher bacterial counts were associated with longer market chains and distance to urban areas. Most (up to 80%) of samples did not meet national bacterial quality standards. Over 96% of consumers boiled milk before consumption mainly to lengthen shelf life but also for health reasons. The most important health risks were judged to be from anti-microbial residues found in up to 16% of milk samples tested