The Safe Milk Campaign is championing milk safety across Kenya, tackling the risk of aflatoxins and other contaminants in milk. Through a multi-pronged approach, the initiative emphasizes the importance of quality animal feed, proper milking procedures, and efficient milk handling practices to ensure milk safety for consumers.
In Runyenjes, Embu County, dairy farmer Mike Gitonga embodies the campaign’s ethos. His morning routine includes meticulous cleaning of milking equipment, handwashing, and inspecting his cows for signs of illness. Gitonga is keenly aware that hygiene and quality feed are critical to producing safe, high-quality milk. After milking, he swiftly delivers his 50 liters of milk to a nearby dairy cooperative for proper chilling, preventing bacterial growth and spoilage.
Gitonga highlights a key concern: contamination from poor feed quality. Farmers often resort to feeding cows rejected maize contaminated with aflatoxins, toxins produced by fungi like Aspergillus flavus. These toxins transfer to milk, posing severe health risks, including stunted growth in children and cancer in adults. Veterinary expert Dr. Miseda Were underscores that aflatoxins, once in milk, cannot be eliminated, necessitating preventive measures at the feed level.
Joseph Naimodu of Olepolos Dairy Cooperative adds that mishandling milk, such as using unclean containers or milking cows treated with medication without sufficient withdrawal time, contributes to unsafe milk. He calls for comprehensive farmer education to address these issues and for consumers to prioritize reputable milk processors who ensure stringent safety standards.
The government is stepping up efforts to safeguard milk quality. Livestock Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke acknowledges the inadequacy of Kenya’s current Dairy Act, last updated in 1957. The proposed Dairy Bill 2024 aims to modernize regulations, tighten safety standards, and introduce quality-based payment systems that incentivize safe practices.
To combat aflatoxin contamination, the campaign promotes innovative solutions like precision-cut maize silage. Companies such as Bio Foods and Lato Milk, in collaboration with Bles Dairies, have harvested over 220 acres of high-quality maize silage in Endebess. This silage is designed to provide toxin-free, nutrient-rich fodder to farmers at affordable prices. Farmers using this feed report a 30% increase in milk yield, reduced production costs, and improved milk safety.
Margaret Kibogy, Managing Director of the Kenya Dairy Board, commends these efforts. “Quality-based payment systems and expanded milk testing capacities are pivotal in building a sector that prioritizes consumer safety and farmer empowerment,” she says. Testing technologies like lactometers and alcohol guns help detect aflatoxin contamination, ensuring unsafe milk is identified and discarded before reaching consumers.
The campaign also focuses on consumer education. Dr. Were advises consumers to learn about the sources of their milk and advocate for safe practices. “Unsafe milk contributes significantly to public health challenges, including zoonotic diseases and pandemics,” she warns.
The Safe Milk Campaign’s holistic approach aligns with a broader one-health strategy, integrating veterinary, human, and environmental health to address interconnected challenges. By prioritizing high-quality, toxin-free feed and proper handling procedures, the initiative envisions a sustainable dairy sector where farmers thrive, consumers enjoy safe products, and health risks are minimized.
In the words of Bio Foods CEO Joachim Westerveld, “Transforming Kenyan dairy is about more than increasing production. It’s about creating a sustainable ecosystem that benefits farmers, consumers, and the environment.”
The campaign’s message is clear: safe milk starts at the farm. By addressing every step in the dairy production process, from feed quality to handling practices, the Safe Milk Campaign is making strides toward a healthier future for all.
