Meat Training Institute principal, Dr Jefferson Nthanga, at the institution in Athi River, Machakos County, on September 16, 2025.
Meat, categorised among the most consumed animal-based proteins, is a delicacy that, according to the Food Safety Law, should first be inspected.
However, have you ever thought of what is examined to ensure that the meat on your plate is safe?
According to Dr Jefferson Nthanga, the principal of the Meat Training Institute (MTI), inspectors apply the analogy of normal versus abnormal meat.
The state-owned institute is the only facility in Kenya that trains meat inspectors in the country.
The middle-level institution specialises in hygienic production, inspection, and processing of meat and meat products, offering various short-term, certificate, and diploma programmes, including meat inspection, meat processing, and meat grading.
“We train them to differentiate between normal and abnormal meat so that the public is not exposed to an unhealthy delicacy,” Dr Nthanga said.
It is a rigorous, intense, and extensive six-month specialised training that is practical-oriented.
A piece of rib eye meat at a butchery. The state-owned Meat Training Institute offers training on meat inspection, meat processing, and meat grading.
For one to qualify to be enrolled, the trainee must have a certificate, diploma or degree in animal health.
“About 30 percent is theory learning, while the remaining 70 percent is practical,” explains the expert.
Currently, the MTI is training 49 aspiring meat inspectors drawn from different parts of the country.
Seeds of Gold visited the facility in Athi River, Machakos County to understand more about the training.
In the quiet MTI environment, acacia trees line the driveway. In one of the classes-cum-laboratories, you only notice activity taking place when the aspiring inspectors change position to tackle different questions or tasks.
“It is a two-minute rotational lab test where the trainees practically examine various types of animal specimens, organs, meat cuts, and bones,” Dr Nthanga explained.
The learners sat a few metres apart and the test was administered under strict supervision. The continuous assessment tests enable them to relate theory with what they are taught in the laboratory.
The institute’s deputy principal, Dr Franklin Amakove, said that the students are also trained to identify animals.
“Using bones, we ensure they can differentiate between a goat and a sheep, a cat and a rabbit, a donkey and a cow, and all domestic and wild animals,” said the anatomy and physiology lecturer.
The training majorly focuses on abnormal meat—meat that is unsafe to eat due to spoilage, and which is characterised by discolouration, sour smells, or slimy texture.
MTI specialises in meat hygiene while also training on protecting the environment through liquid or solid waste management in slaughterhouses.
Meat displayed in a butchery. A butchery should have good space for hanging and displaying meat, with transparent viewing material such as glass, and should be secured from flies.
Dr Nthanga said that inspectors are taught using specimens extracted from animals, such as special meat cuts including prime cuts such as rump steak, sirloin, rib rack, fillet, liver, lungs, and lamb chops, as well as various types of bones.
Animal dummies are also used in the training.
“The trainees should relate the disease affecting animals. Meat inspection is done by judging and condemning visually; palpating, smelling, touching, tasting; and through cooking and seeing,” Dr Nthanga explained.
Even with the crucial role MTI plays in the meat industry, it lacks a slaughterhouse for practical training. To bridge this gap, it partners with the Kenya Meat Commission and Farmers Choice-owned abattoirs.
Annually, the facility trains 192 meat inspectors at a fee, both from the private and public sectors. The trainees are subdivided into two cohorts.
Just like the dwindling number of public agricultural extension officers, meat inspectors are also facing a decline as the aging generation retires.
Apart from meat inspectors, butchery operators and attendants are also trained, with Dr Nthanga revealing that so far, it has trained about 50.
A typical butchery should have good space for hanging and displaying meat, with transparent viewing material such as glass, and should be secured from flies.
Additionally, it should have a proper meat cutting place, along with equipment such as weighing scales, food-grade knives that are easy to clean, a source of water to wash hands and clean equipment, as well as a freezer or chiller for storing meat.
The attendants should be neatly dressed, with the Food Law requiring them to wear protective gear that is easy to clean, including a white dust coat and gumboots. They should also have public health certificates.
The meat industry is heavily dependent on the livestock sector, with the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands playing a huge role in ensuring the country has sufficient animals for slaughter.
