Abstract:
Milk is a widely traded commodity in informal market outlets in Kenya for consumption and income. Over 70% of the domestic milk production is marketed through the informal market outlets. Milk trading is regulated using licensing, registration, certification, training of milk vendors on food quality, safety, hygiene standards and requirements. Though regulated, non-compliance behaviour is prevalent, includes intentional adulteration of milk with water, flour or with blue band, allowing contamination of milk with hazards including hydrogen peroxide, antibiotics, bacterial load, and aflatoxin. Intentional non-compliance as a behavioural practice constitutes trade malpractice that exposes consumers to health hazards and vendors to loss of customer confidence when milk is rejected by clients. It also attracts penalties from regulating authorities whenever detected, and eventual loss of business engagement altogether. However, the persistence of the practice, in spite of the risks involved, constitutes a knowledge gap that raises sociological questions on the underlying behavioural practices and motives of milk vendors. This study addressed knowledge gap with application of sociological rational choice theory to probe for the underlying intentional non-compliance behaviours in informal milk trading in peri –urban areas of Nakuru town, Kenya. Specifically, the study probed: milk vendors’ level of awareness of the regulations in milk trade; frequent intentional non-compliance behaviours; reasons and motives for non-compliance; and the barriers to compliance with the regulations in milk trading. The study adopted survey research design, used snowball sampling, and interviewed 120 informal milk vendors with interview schedule with informal milk vendor as the unit of analysis. Quantitative data was analysed using arithmetic mean, presented using bar graphs and frequency tables. Qualitative data analysis used thematic narrative and excerpts. Results revealed that vendors had low awareness of the standards, regulations and requirements in milk trade. Milk adulteration was a frequent intentional non-compliance. The underlying motive was to increase sale volume and earn more. The behaviour exploited consumer preference for affordable milk over quality and safety standards. Vendors considered the regulator, Kenya Dairy Board, as a barrier to them in their bid to comply with the standard regulations and also observed that the standard regulations set ignored their local situational realities, making it impractical for them to comply. The study concluded that it is important to align food standard regulation to local situation and to involve the vendors in formation process. The study also recommends that it is necessary to actively sensitize milk vendors on compliance with food standard regulations to the b
