Case study -- Kenyan fish exports: food safety in food security and food trade

Abila, Richard O. 2003. Case study -- Kenyan fish exports: food safety in food security and food trade. 2020 Vision Focus Brief. 10(8). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/157331

Food safety and quality have become increasingly important in international fish trade. Stringent conditions imposed by major fish-importing nations in the developed world, which take in 80 percent of global fish exports, give food safety priority over price as the main determinant for market access. Nearly half of fish exports originate from developing countries, which have limited capacity to invest in the rigorous fish safety measures demanded by importing countries... Concerns about the safety of fish from Kenya first arose in November 1997 when Spain and Italy both banned fish imports from Kenya, claiming the presence of Salmonellae.... Kenya faces important challenges in implementing stronger food safety measures, especially in light of its small development budget. It cannot export fish unless it incurs huge costs.