The new analytical test methods for measuring lactose levels in milk and its products being sold in the market have approved by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
The National Standards Council (NSC) approved test methods, codes of practice and thirty-five food standards including the new guidelines to strengthen food safety and quality in the country.
KEBS MD Bernard Njiraini said that ensuring food safety has increasingly become crucial because food is the anchor that sustains human life.
Lactose is the most abundant type of sugar or carbohydrate in milk and milk products that can be difficult for some people to digest and is normally hydrolyzed during digestion by the enzyme lactase-phlorizin hydrolase.
Nausea, cramps, bloating and diarrhea are among gastrointestinal symptoms that people deficient in this enzyme.
According to research, approximately 68 per cent of the global human population are lactose intolerant. 63 per cent in Sub-Saharan Africa and 39 per cent in Kenya are affected.
The new guidelines require manufacturers to ensure that their products are safe for consumption and all milk products are labeled either as containing lactose or being lactose-free, or showing the lactose levels contained in the products.
The new standards are expected to increase the competitiveness in the market through the provision of higher quality products and promoting lower prices through technological innovations.
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