Opinion By : Mourine Mwangi (certified auditor)
When we talk about food safety, we often focus on processing plants and retail compliance, but what about the farm itself?
Recently, I Mourine Mwangi visited a dairy farm in Kiambu County as part of the groundwork for an upcoming workshop, where we are preparing farmers from Murang’a County to gain hands-on insights into dairy hygiene, feed formulation, and traceability.
What started as a site visit turned into an eye-opening learning experience on how food safety starts long before milk reaches the shelves!
Key Takeaways from the Visit
✅ Feed Formulation for Better Nutrition & Sustainability
I learned how pineapple waste, Napier grass, hay, dairy meal, chicken waste, and maize germ are mixed to improve milk yield while reducing food waste. This is a great example of sustainable, circular agriculture!
✅ Silage Preparation & Its Role in Dairy Farming
Properly mixing hay, Napier grass, molasses, and yeast ensures longer preservation of animal feed and maintains consistent milk production.
✅ The Role of Magnets in Dairy Farming
For the longest time, I believed magnets in machines were only for food safety compliance—but surprise! Cows also ingest magnets to trap small metal objects accidentally introduced during feeding. A simple yet brilliant food safety measure!
✅ Traceability Systems for Dairy Cows
Just as food products are labeled for tracking, dairy farmers implement cow identification and record-keeping systems to monitor health, productivity, and breeding cycles. This strengthens accountability in milk production.
Related Articles : The Ultimate Guide to HACCP System: Everything you need to know!
✅ Farm Hygiene & Biosecurity Measures
The farm follows a strict hygiene routine: daily sweeping, sodium bicarbonate application, and monthly fumigation to prevent contamination and ensure clean milk production.
This visit reinforced an important lesson: food safety begins at the farm, not in the factory!
As we prepare for our upcoming workshop with Murang’a farmers, I’d love to hear insights from industry experts and organizations such as @Kenya Dairy Board, @Ministry of Agriculture Kenya, @FAO Kenya, and others working in dairy safety and agribusiness.
What more can be done to enhance farm-to-fork food safety and traceability ?
For more : contact us
FoodSafety DairyFarming Agribusiness SustainableFarming Traceability FarmToFork KenyaAgriculture QualityAssurance
