By JENIFFER GITHINJI
Food safety refers to the production, handling, preparation and storage of foodstuffs in ways that best reduce the risk of diseases.
Dangers of consuming unsafe food have been demonstrated in the rise of food-borne diseases such as cholera. Safety of food is compromised at all stages, from input supplies, production, post-harvest handling and preparation.
Most farmers don’t consider the source of inputs they use to produce food. For example, a majority use unclean water for irrigation leading to introduction of heavy metals and microbial pathogens into crops.
Again, farmers source manure directly from their livestock section or buy from neighbors and apply on the crops. Manure that is not well-decomposed is a health hazard if applied to crop.
Similarly, some farmers use chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and fungicides without following the manufacturer’s recommendation or having clear information about the active ingredients, disposal or even the pre-harvest interval (PHI).Read more…
