‘Only 10% of processed foods are suitable for consumption’ – Kenya Market Assessment report

HEALTH
‘Only 10% of processed foods are suitable for consumption’ – Kenya Market Assessment report

The Ministry of Health has raised concerns about consumable products in the Kenyan market, noting that majority do not meet the required threshold.

According to the 2025 Kenya Market Assessment Report, only one in ten processed foods qualifies for front-of-pack labeling under the Kenyan Nutrient Profile Model (KNPM), a clear indication that many products are not suitable for healthy consumption, especially among children.

The report notes that urbanization and changing lifestyles in Kenya are driving the increased consumption of processed and packaged foods, which are often high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats.

This poses a danger to consumers since the reports show that 90% of the consumable products on supermarket shelves contain high fat, salt, and sugar content.

MoH has revealed that plans are underway to implement measures that set specific limits for fat, sugar and sodium content across 21 categories of processed food in Kenya, as they could lead to non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

“The categorisation of foods will be in groups, especially in beverages, dairy, snacks, and cereals to tailor the nutrient threshold appropriately,” Public Health and Safety Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni said.

The report also revealed that only 32.2% of packaged food and beverage products sold in Kenya met the threshold to be classified as “healthy” according to the Health Star Rating (HSR) system, while nearly 50% were deemed unhealthy.

This highlights a troubling trend: many products marketed as healthier options fail to meet nutritional standards.

These findings were drawn from an analysis of a wide range of product categories, including carbonated drinks, rice, juices, pasta, noodles, biscuits, confectionery, dairy products, ice cream, cereals, instant coffee, edible oils, and sauces.

Responding to this, PS Mary Muthoni said the Ministry will implement even tighter measures on the packaging of processed foods, to ensure that all details of the product are revealed on the package.

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