See below and judge for yourself what COFEK is most likely to be about.

On Sun, Feb 10, 2013 at 10:45 PM, stephen Mutoro <smutoro@yahoo.com> wrote:

Thanks Dorcas,

I wasn't too sure I ought to reply to you further. But after seeing the post below, I decided I should as follows;

You may wish to over-stretch your argument in the manner you want and for reasons best known to yourself. As far as we are concerned, we have no apologies for calling yours a "hear-say". From your initial email - you simply attended "several presentations" where it was mentioned, that is it! You thereafter have no idea in what way, proportions, by whom and from which part of the country the dangerous offense that has potential to bring down a whole industry is concerned. Perhaps you over-rated us that you equally failed to report the issue first to the milk regulator - KDB. Unfortunately you decided this is the only basis you can judge our competence. While I wouldn't cast aspersions on you, the way you did on Cofek, I can simply say this - if you have no confidence in us, we respect your right to your debatable opinion.

Allow us our opinion too - that like Meshack Emakunat puts it (in a more diplomatic way), Cofek and I will not act on alarmist hear-says which only condemn without solutions. We are not about grabbing newspaper headlines with unproven allegations. The list of such allegations are countless i.e that butchers use the same formalin to preserve unsold meat. All that could be true. But unless they are proven by competent authorities, they will remain sensational non-sense. What a consumer body does as we are already doing - is not to suggest to consumers what is recommended. Why? If you condemned company x making brand y milk, that company x will simply switch to brand z which would be the same as what would have been condemned!

Finally, if you don't mind, subscribe to the "Consumer Pride" mailing list, coming soon, when will announce a joint Consumer Dialogue Forum with the Kenya Dairy Board on milk safety. You can, if still interested attend and put your question straight to your real target. Thanks again,

Regards,
Stephen

From: meshack emakunat <memakunat@yahoo.com>
To: smutoro@yahoo.com
Cc: Meshack <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2013 9:20 PM
Subject: Re: [kictanet] COFEK: Formalin in Milk

Am sure most food scientist present in the list will find it amusing that milk processors are adding formalin in milk for the purposes of preservation.considering all the approved milk preservasion process like packaging homoniginazation and pasturrization process that milk processors invest in. Such accusation can damage a whole industry and its dependents(farmers employees and other beneficiaries. I only wish that you clarify which milk processors considering that there are many dozens of milk processors from licenced to local unlicensed. Example we have kcc, brookside,sameer and on the other hand distribution from farmer to consumer(direct to consumer) without the value addition process which are more likely to be the culprits ( maziwa ya ngombe) unlike. (Maziwa ya packet) processed milk

Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android

From: Dorcas Muthoni <dmuthoni@gmail.com>;

To: <memakunat@yahoo.com>;
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>;
Subject: Re: [kictanet] COFEK: Formalin in Milk
Sent: Wed, Feb 6, 2013 7:32:47 PM

Dear Stephen,

I feel sorry about your reply below to me.

To be very honest with you, a lot of Kenyan consumers would respect you (person and COFEK at large) more if you focused on dealing with such issues and not passing the buck to consumers who send you alerts.

I am actually very amazed that you refer to my consumer alert as a "hear-say".

Stephen, i really do wish COFEK the best. I am afraid, if you not have a credible consumer protection strategy, COFEK may indirectly/directly lead to consumer sabotage.

NB: I have never communicated with COFEK on Facebook but only on email and addressed to yourself.

Muthoni

On Tue, Feb 5, 2013 at 5:48 PM, stephen Mutoro <smutoro@yahoo.com> wrote:

I am sure we did reply to you. My office says that there was a reply and especially on our Facebook page. Sorry if we didn't. But I am sure you will appreciate that we can only do as much as our capacity can allow considering we have no own laboratory; we are not funded by the taxpayer and that we cannot act on hear-says. I wish you appreciated that this was immediately on our website and lots of sensitization achieved http://www.cofek.co.ke/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1124:milk-with-formalin-as-additives-anyone-to-help-muthoni&catid=1:latest-news Finally, such issues are continuous as we held a Consumer Dialogue Forum on food additive at InterContinental on September 12 and that issue was in my remarks. The Chief Public Health Officer Dr Ombacho discounted the fears and pledged investigations. Hope it suffices. Regards

From: Dorcas Muthoni <dmuthoni@gmail.com>

To: smutoro@yahoo.com
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2013 3:42 PM
Subject: [kictanet] COFEK: Formalin in Milk

I know milk has nothing to do with ICT but i shared this concern with COFEK and they ignored it. Which consumers or issues do COFEK prefer to deal with? Just asking for those saying they act for the public......

See more below..

Summary:
=======================================================================================================
Dear Stephen,

I have attended several presentations that have indicated that many milk processing companies in Kenya are using formalin to preserve milk sold to consumers.

Formalin is a chemical normally used to preserve dead bodies. Formalin has many negative impacts on human health. If it becomes part of food, it turns into formic acid in human body and increases acidity level. More intake of formalin can cause breathing problems, coma and even death.

US Environment Protection Agency and International Agency for Research on Cancer count formalin as one of the cancer-causing agents.

Can COFEK try and investigate this.

With so many deaths being reported from cancer and every urban dweller entirely dependent on milk from the shops right from early childhood, we are very exposed if this is actually true.

Stephen, please advice if you shall investigate this further and protect the consumer.

I am sure you are also consuming these products every day.

Regards,

Muthoni

=======================================================================================================

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Dorcas Muthoni <dmuthoni@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Sep 7, 2012 at 3:24 PM
Subject: Re: Formalin in Milk
To: hotline@cofek.co.ke
Cc: jack juma <jack@cofek.co.ke>, Theresia Watowa <theresia@cofek.co.ke>

Sorry, what else do you want to know? This last line is not clear.

On Fri, Sep 7, 2012 at 9:50 AM, Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek) <hotline@cofek.co.ke> wrote:

Ok but can we know who you please
Sent from my BlackBerry®
From: Dorcas Muthoni <dmuthoni@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2012 09:39:53 +0300
To: <hotline@cofek.co.ke>
Cc: jack juma<jack@cofek.co.ke>; Theresia Watowa<theresia@cofek.co.ke>

Subject: Re: Formalin in Milk

Stephen,

I don't have evidence but Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS) and KEBS should be able to provide accountability because the milk producers are all showing the KEBS logo for quality.

I am a layman in this, just very concerned about because presentations are coming from health and nutrition experts talking about this.

Please try and see what you can do for the consumer.

Many thanks,
Muthoni

On Fri, Sep 7, 2012 at 9:30 AM, Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek) <hotline@cofek.co.ke> wrote:

It is being acted upon although you never provided any facts and supporting evidence
Sent from my BlackBerry®

From: Dorcas Muthoni <dmuthoni@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2012 09:27:10 +0300
To: <hotline@cofek.co.ke>
Cc: <stephen@cofek.co.ke>

Subject: Re: Formalin in Milk

Dear Stephen,

I thought COFEK would acknowledge receipt if this email and say whether is an area you will look into or not.

Regards,
Muthoni

On Fri, Aug 31, 2012 at 12:33 PM, Dorcas Muthoni <dmuthoni@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Stephen,

I have attended several presentations that have indicated that many milk processing companies in Kenya are using formalin to preserve milk sold to consumers.

Formalin is a chemical normally used to preserve dead bodies. Formalin has many negative impacts on human health. If it becomes part of food, it turns into formic acid in human body and increases acidity level. More intake of formalin can cause breathing problems, coma and even death.

US Environment Protection Agency and International Agency for Research on Cancer count formalin as one of the cancer-causing agents.

Can COFEK try and investigate this.

With so many deaths being reported from cancer and every urban dweller entirely dependent on milk from the shops right from early childhood, we are very exposed if this is actually true.

Stephen, please advice if you shall investigate this further and protect the consumer.

I am sure you are also consuming these products every day.

Regards,

Muthoni

--
Muthoni

My Blog: http://rugongo.blogspot.com/
--------------------------------------------
Mahatma Gandhi once said:-

First they ignore you,
Then they laugh at you,
Then they fight you,
AND THEN YOU WIN!!!

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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.

KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.

--
Muthoni

My Blog: http://rugongo.blogspot.com/
--------------------------------------------
Mahatma Gandhi once said:-

First they ignore you,
Then they laugh at you,
Then they fight you,
AND THEN YOU WIN!!!

_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet

Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/smutoro%40yahoo.com

The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.

KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.

--
Muthoni

My Blog: http://rugongo.blogspot.com/
--------------------------------------------
Mahatma Gandhi once said:-

First they ignore you,
Then they laugh at you,
Then they fight you,
AND THEN YOU WIN!!!