Introduction
- Milk traders play an important role in linking dairy farmers and milk consumers.
- Milk is a highly nutritious food. In order to reach the consumer while still in good condition, a number of things must be observed right from the farm to the market.
- The government has developed various food regulations to ensure the delivery of safe and quality milk to consumers such as the dairy industry Act Cap 336 and Public Health Cap 242 of the laws of Kenya.
- Milk traders have an opportunity to be compliant to Kenyan food regulations and thus legitimize their business.
- Compliance is mandatory not a choice.
What is compliance?
- Compliance is a state of being in accordance with established guidelines, specifications, regulations, standards or legislation.
- Compliance can be in different perspectives such as financial and food safety.
- In the Kenyan Dairy industry, from a food safety perspective, compliance refers to conformance to dairy standards and regulations such as the Dairy industry Act Cap 336 and the Public Health Act cap 242
Why should you comply?
Milk traders stand to gain the following by complying with food safety regulations;
- Safety for your consumers by delivering safe and quality milk.
- No conflict with regulators. This will enable you to conduct your business freely.
- Formalization of business will open many other opportunities such as value addition and access to credit, training and extension services.
- Control on the quality of your milk, hence less post-harvest losses.
What are the requirements for compliance?
To comply, milk traders need to;
a) Meet the requirements established under the Dairy Industry Act Cap 336 and Public Health Act Cap 242 of the Laws of Kenya. These include;
- A premise that is properly designed and constructed including the floors, walls drainage, lighting and ventilation among others.
- Hygienically transport the milk using aluminum or stainless steel and approved milk transport vehicles.
- Observe personnel hygiene and health. A medical certificate is mandatory.
- Premises should have access to clean and portable water.
- Maintenance of quality records.
- Cleaning and disinfection program for the premises and equipment.
- Environmental hygiene.
b) Apply for licensing from the Kenya Dairy Board – at this stage, an inspection of the premises will be done to evaluate compliance before license is issued.
c) Routine inspection after licensing will be carried out by the board to ensure hygiene requirements are continuously met.
d) Other licenses may also be required such as trade licenses by County Governments.
What is the cost of licensing?
| Type of License | Purpose | Cost per Year |
| Milk Bar | Receive milk, pasteurize, add value and sell products to consumers. |
3,100/= |
| Milk Carriage Permit | Transportation of raw milk from one point to another. The milk must be sold in bulk to a milk bar or processor and not sold directly to consumers. |
1,600/= |
| Cottage License | Receive milk, pasteurize, add value and sell finished products to consumers. |
5,600/= |
Compiled by the Kenya Dairy Board
