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Government wants ban on sale of cakes, sweets found laced with bhang
The Ministry of Health has released a list of sweets, cakes and biscuits which are laced with bhang following tests conducted by the Government Chemist. The ministry wants the sale of those products banned. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Although children love these products, the government wants them removed from supermarket shelves and to ban their sale by vendors.
- The Health ministry has directed the officials to inspect shops, supermarkets and foods outlets in their areas of jurisdiction.
- The directive follows laboratory tests done by the Government Chemist and submitted by Nacada.
The Ministry of Health has released a list of sweets, cakes and biscuits that it says are laced with bhang.
In what is expected to shock parents, Mr J K Kibuthu, in a signed letter on behalf of the Government Chemist, said some of the 176 samples taken from popular lollipops, cakes, cookies and mandazi for analysis tested positive for the drug.
Although children love these products, the government wants them removed from supermarket shelves and to ban their sale by vendors.
In a circular to all the 47 county heads of public health, the ministry has directed the officials to inspect shops, supermarkets and food outlets in their areas of jurisdiction.
“This is a serious crime that goes against the principles of production of safe food.
“Your quick action will save many people, especially children,” said Mr Robert Kilonzo, the head of food safety and quality, in the circular earlier this month.
The directive follows laboratory tests done by the Government Chemist and submitted by the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) last December.
The list seen by the Nation indicates that some of the products that tested positive for bhang included purple lollipop, unlabelled cakes, cookies, round buns, black forest cakes and mandazi.
