Can African Inventors Save Africa From Cancerous Foods?

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Can African Inventors Save Africa From Cancerous Foods?

Palki Sharma tells you why Palm oil could be dangerous for you. In this case the people of Kenya, including myself, should be more cautious of the foods we are consuming, including vegetable oils. I’m slightly less concerned because my diet is primarily organic and vegetarian and my measured LDL cholesterol levels are very low. In Kenya, there are several types of cooking oil that are grown, sold, and produced. The most commonly produced cooking oil in Kenya is sunflower oil, which is made from sunflower seeds. Palm oil is the second most produced cooking oil in Kenya and is used in many cooking applications, including frying. Soybean oil is the third most produced cooking oil in Kenya and is made from soybeans. Corn oil is produced in smaller quantities in Kenya but is still commonly used in cooking and frying. Canola oil, coconut oil, safflower oil, olive oil, and avocado oil are also available in Kenya but are either produced in smaller quantities or imported into the country. Overall, sunflower oil, palm oil, and soybean oil are the most commonly produced and used cooking oils in Kenya.

It is possible that some of the cooking oils produced in Kenya are made from genetically modified organisms (GMO) grown crops. The Kenyan government has recently allowed for the importation of GMO crops. I’m not certain if this will extend to the domestic reintroduction of GMO crops onto Kenya’s fertile farmlands. In either case the public reactions to the government’s actions were swift and strong against this reintroduction and brought many to wonder why in the world it happened. Could it have resulted from greed or the influence of foreign money? For example, both soybeans and corn are commonly genetically modified crops in many parts of the world. However, it is important to note that the production and regulation of GMO crops vary by country, and Kenya has deleted strict regulations regarding the cultivation and importation of GMO crops.

In 2012, Kenya implemented the Biosafety Act, which regulates the research, development, and use of GMOs in the country. The law requires the National Biosafety Authority to conduct risk assessments before any GMOs are released into the environment or used for commercial purposes. Additionally, the importation and labeling of GMO products are also regulated under the law. Apparently, that Act has now been nullified.

Therefore, while it is possible that some cooking oils produced in Kenya are or will be made from GMO crops, the Kenyan government has withdrawn regulations to ensure that the use of GMOs in the country is carefully monitored and controlled. Will Kenyan inventors in the food sciences save us and possible other African nations facing the same challenges to our health?! In 2021 Kenya ranked 88th in the world on the “Global Innovation Index” out of 132 countries measured. The Global Innovation Index has been a leading reference for measuring an economy’s innovation performance. A large number of countries use the GII to assess and improve their innovation ecosystems and use the GII as a reference in economic plans and/or policies. This year Kenya ranks 103rd in innovatio inputs, lower than both 2021 and 2020 so that its innovation capacity is actually falling. Although, Kenya ranks 4th among the 27 economies in Sub-Saharan Africa. The full World Intellectual Property (WIPO) Statistics profile for Kenya can be found at: https://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/country_profile/profile.jsp?code=KE. In 2022, Tokyo–Yokohama is the top science and tech hub in the world, followed by Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou (China and Hong Kong, China), Beijing (China), Seoul (Republic of Korea) and San Jose–San Francisco (United States).

We have published other informative posts on Invention School’s website which may interest you. To view our entire catalog of over 800 posts go to inventionschool.tech/category/blog/ or use our handy search tool to find topics of interest to you.

Mechanical/Solar Engineer, Prof. Oku Singer

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