The findings of the study conducted between 2019 and 2021 were presented in Arusha by Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA) researcher, Dr Jonas Kapeleka, during a day-long capacity-building training on sustainable food systems for media owners and editors.
The training was co-organised by the network of farmers and livestock keepers, Mtandao wa Vikundi vya Wakulima na Wafugaji Mkoa wa Arusha (MVIWAARUSHA), the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Iles de Paix (IDP) and the Agriculture Non-State Actors Forum (Ansaf).
Titled Assessment of the Food Safety Risks Along the Main Fruit and Vegetable Supply Chains in Arusha City, the study that was carried out in Arusha City aimed at establishing the safety levels of fruits and vegetables.
The fruits and vegetables involved in the study include tomatoes, onions, black nightshade, curly kale, cabbage, carrot, okra, spinach, tomatoes and watermelon among others.
Presenting the findings, Dr Kapeleka said the study aimed at establishing levels of contamination: biological, chemical and physical in Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Manyara regions.
“Fruit and vegetable traders, transporters as well as storage value chain stakeholders were involved, with Kilombero, Tengeru, Mto wa Mbu, Samunge, and Ngaramtoni among markets earmarked during the study,” he said.
The findings show that 63 percent of sampled fruits and vegetables had been contaminated by at least one microbial contaminant.
This, according to Dr Kapeleka, means that 63 percent of fruits and vegetables produced and consumed in Arusha are contaminated with bacteria, noting that samples gathered from marketplaces have higher contamination levels compared to those collected from the farms.
“This is attributed to customers’ behaviour, which involves touching vegetables before purchasing. The same happens to fruits too,” said Dr Kapeleka.
Furthermore, he said over 90 percent of the analysed bacteria are pathogenic (disease-causative) micro-organisms, insisting that spinach, watermelon, onion, tomatoes, carrots, and curly kale were among the crops found to be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, with some containing up to five different bacteria.
He said fruits and vegetables collected from marketplaces had higher levels of pathogenic bacteria as compared to samples collected from farms primarily due to poor hygiene in most markets.
“Market environments are excessively dirty, with some products being arranged on the ground. People should avoid purchasing vegetables piled on the ground despite being cheap,” he suggested.
According to him, some of the products are arranged on the ground close to dumps, where garbage collection systems have completely collapsed despite traders having paid pre-requisite levies.
Furthermore, Dr Kapeleka said some of the markets have their sewerage systems blocked and that several others lack storage facilities.
“During the study, water and pieces of clothing that are used for watering and cleaning the vegetables were also tested and found to contain enough bacterial contamination,” he said.
He said farmers don’t bother about the originality of the water used for watering the vegetables, noting that unsafe and unclean water increases contamination levels.
Regarding the presence of chemical contamination or pesticide residues, Dr Kapeleka said analysis of fruits and vegetables established that 47.5 percent of collected samples contained pesticide residues, with those collected from marketplaces surpassing those from farms.
“Farmers have been harvesting crops with pesticide residues, they are taken to the market with the chemicals where consumers buy and consume them,” he said.
“Farmers don’t follow the allocated harvest timetable to give pesticides enough exposure to sunlight and therefore reduce their poisonous nature,” he added.
He said samples collected at highway selling points such as Himo were found to be highly contaminated with pesticide residues due to excessive spraying applied to protect the fruits from pests.
He said some farmers and traders have been carrying out secondary spraying after harvests and during packaging to prevent pests’ transmission from other products in the market.
But, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has provided the pesticide residue tolerance level for fruits and vegetables globally, according to him.
“However, when compared to the WHO pesticide residue tolerance, 75 percent of the locally produced fruits and vegetables were found to surpass the WHO permissible threshold,” he said, noting that samples from the highways contained over 90 percent pesticide residue.
He added: “Generally, fruits and vegetables that are produced and consumed in Arusha are highly contaminated with both bacterial contaminants (pathogenic bacteria) and pesticide residues.”
He said bacteria contaminants lead to several diseases such as diarrhea, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), Respiratory Tract Infection (RTI), and several others.
But, excessive pesticide residue causes complications in the nervous system and problems in the reproductive systems through the destruction of the hormonal systems of both males and females.
“The chemicals destroy the sperms’ deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) whereby both the head and tails are adversely affected leading to individuals’ failure to reproduce,” he said.
“This leads to miscarriages in affected women and mental complications in children. Women are mostly affected due to their physical nature. Therefore, they should avoid drinking milk after working in the farms that have just been sprayed with pesticides,” he added.
According to Dr Kapeleka, men are less affected because they spend less time in fruit and vegetable farms than women, who are also more vulnerable due to higher fat deposits in their bodies.
However, he stated that farmers would be unable to stop using pesticides on their farms and switch to 100 percent organic farming production.
But he said an emphasis on the accurate and safe use of pesticides will pave the way for a reduction in use that will later be followed by the complete abandonment of utilisation.
“Pests attacking crops are usually controlled by friendly pests, therefore leaving the crops with low levels of damage or completely unaffected. But, the ongoing excessive use of pesticides kills friendly pests, therefore doing away with control mechanisms,” he said.
As a result of the lack of enemies, destructive pests overproduce, similar to how lions serve to control the population of gazelles in the ecosystem.
Speaking on the roles and opportunities of the media in supporting food systems transformation, the MVIWAARUSHA coordinator, Richard Masandika said practitioners are supposed to understand several issues.
They include issues of Sustainable Food Systems (SFS), awareness of the creation, advocating SFS and integrating the organisation’s strategies.
“They should also train journalists in the context and realities of SFS and disseminate accurate SFS information to the public. Areas of focus should include making simple analyses of policies, strategies, and plans related to agroecology in the country,” he said.
Masandika said the media should also explore opportunities and address gaps for agro-ecological transformation, create awareness about why it is important to streamline agro-ecology in national policies, plans, and explore expected potentials,” he said.
Share this news
This Year’s Most Read News Stories
Tanzania Confirms Second Marburg Outbreak After WHO Chief Visit
Dar es Salaam — Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, confirming a single case in the northwestern region of Kagera after a meeting with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The confirmation follows days of speculation about a possible outbreak in the region, after the WHO reported a number of deaths suspected to be linked to the highly infectious disease.
While Tanzania’s Ministry of Health declared last week that all suspected cases had tested negative for Marburg, the WHO called for additional testing at international reference laboratories.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”Amelia Clemence, public health researcher
Subsequent laboratory tests conducted at Kagera’s Kabaile Mobile Laboratory and confirmed in Dar es Salaam identified one positive case, while 25 other suspected cases tested negative, the president told a press conference in Dodoma, in the east of the country today (Monday).
“The epicentre has now shifted to Biharamulo district of Kagera,” she told the press conference, distinguishing this outbreak from the previous one centred in Bukoba district.
Tedros said the WHO would release US$3 million from its emergencies contingency fund to support efforts to contain the outbreak.
Health authorities stepped up surveillance and deployed emergency response teams after the WHO raised the alarm about nine suspected cases in the region, including eight deaths.
The suspected cases displayed symptoms consistent with Marburg infection, including headache, high fever, diarrhoea, and haemorrhagic complications, according to the WHO’s alert to member countries on 14 January. The organisation noted a case fatality rate of 89 per cent among the suspected cases.
“We appreciate the swift attention accorded by the WHO,” Hassan said.
She said her administration immediately investigated the WHO’s alert.
“The government took several measures, including the investigation of suspected individuals and the deployment of emergency response teams,” she added.
Cross-border transmission
The emergence of this case in a region that experienced Tanzania’s first-ever Marburg outbreak in March 2023 has raised concerns about cross-border transmission, particularly following Rwanda’s recent outbreak that infected 66 people and killed 15 before being declared over in December 2024.
The situation is particularly critical given Kagera’s position as a transport hub connecting four East African nations.
Amelia Clemence, a public health researcher working in the region, says constant vigilance is required.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”
The Kagera region’s ecosystem, home to fruit bats that serve as natural reservoirs for the Marburg virus, adds another layer of complexity to disease surveillance efforts.
The virus, closely related to Ebola, spreads through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever.
Transparency urged
Elizabeth Sanga, shadow minister of health for Tanzania’s ACT Wazalendo opposition party, says greater transparency would help guide public health measures.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
“This could have helped to guide those who are traveling to the affected region to be more vigilant and prevent the risk of further spread,” she said.
WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti says early notification of investigation outcomes is important.
“We stand ready to support the government in its efforts to investigate and ensure that measures are in place for an effective and rapid response,” she said, noting that existing national capacities built from previous health emergencies could be quickly mobilised.
The situation coincides with leadership changes in Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, with both the chief medical officer and permanent secretary being replaced.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Source: allafrica.com
Zanzibar: Containers and dhows carrying alcohol stuck at Malindi Port
ZMMI, Scotch Store and One Stop Company have filed contempt of court case against Nicholas Eshalin, the chief executive officer of the Zanzibar Multipurpose TerminalContinue Reading
Rare megamouth shark found in Zanzibar for the first time – why so little is known about it
The recent sighting was only the sixth time a megamouth had ever been found off the coast of Africa.Continue Reading