REVEALED: How mercury ends up in your sugar

However, as Dr Catherine Kunyanga from The University of Nairobi Department of Food Science and Technology also noted that it is not the chemicals themselves that should scare people, but the state in which they are found.

This is because while some chemicals are generally toxic like mercury, others like copper can be ingested in a form not injurious to one's health.

And safety state and levels of these chemicals can only be determined in an equipped laboratory.

“I know there are some websites that will tell you to use sodium chloride (salt) solution or some other chemicals but these tests have not been proven,” said Dr Kunyanga.

Revelations by Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i last week claimed some of the sugar consumed by Kenyans unsuspectingly is illegal and hence ‘poison’.

Analysis of over 1,300 bags by the government chemist, in a report yet to be made public, showed that the bags, were not cleared by the Kenya Bureau of Standard (KEBS) and the sugar contained mercury, copper, mould and yeast.

Such revelations have thrown Kenyans into a panic mode some resorting to find out of any tests that can be carried at home to determine if their sugar has these heavy metals.

Generally, the existence of mould and yeast is a sign of either poor storage of foodstuffs or they might be expired.

Government chemist Ali Gakweli said though home tests (if existed) can increase awareness of such incidents, it may also cause unnecessary unrest among the public.

“The best place for testing impurities in sugar remains the laboratory. False positives do occur and only a laboratory can confirm otherwise,” said Gakweli.

But just how does mercury or copper find itself in your sugar or any food?

“We know for pesticides it is during production. But for heavy metals it is during harvest, post-harvest and also during processing,” said UoN's Dr Kunyanga.

This means that if any of the boilers or machinery used in processing has copper elements, then they can attach themselves in the sugar, especially if some parts (of the machine) are worn out or old and hence disintegrating.

Some manufacturers or traders have been faulted to intentionally add these chemicals for preservation purposes: “…but now this is referred to as food adulteration.”

As documented in the Draft Winsonsin Mercury Sourcebook on Mercury use in agriculture, this toxic chemical was widely in use before 1970 by farmers as a fungicide and pesticide.

"All food uses of mercury-containing pesticides were cancelled in 1969, and all US pesticide registrations were cancelled in as of early 1995. The last four uses to be cancelled were turf fungicide, mildewcide for fresh cut wood, latex paint fungicide/preservative, and outdoor fabric treatment,” reads the hand out drafted by John Wilekson from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

It adds: "However, many mercury-containing chemicals may still be present on farms or golf courses in the form of old stockpiles.”

The sugar that was intercepted in Kenya was said to be originally from Zambia and Brazil, at least according to the packaging labels.

But as Dr Kunyanga said, this will be difficult to find out the exact point of entry of the toxic chemicals.

“If this sugar was locally made, then we would go to as far as testing the soil to determine the exact point of contamination. In this case, that is not possible,” she added.

But not all mercury, copper or other chemicals are toxic on your body when consumed.

As Dr Kunyanga reveals, what makes these chemicals toxic is the state in which they are consumed: “We normally take (some of) these chemicals through plants or the food we eat but they are in a form that the body can recognize (not foreign).”

For example, copper is an important element in the formation of red blood cells in the body, and any reduced level of copper according to MayoClinic.com can result in anaemia and weak bones.

Other conditions that may increase your need for a copper-based diet are kidney and pancreatic diseases.

Similarly, an increase in the quantity of copper in your system can be fatal as it has been associated with Wilson’s disease: accumulation of copper in the brain, liver and other vital organs.

Some of the foods that contain copper are meat like liver, beans, whole grains among others.

“Additional copper can come from drinking water from copper pipes, using copper cookware, and eating farm products sprayed with copper-containing chemicals. Copper may be decreased in foods that have high acid content and are stored in tin cans for a long time,” states MayoClinic.

Dr Kunyanga, however, noted that in the case of mercury, its toxicity can end up tampering with one’s nervous system exposing them to paralysis and endanger unborn children.

In can also cause hyperactivity condition (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in children.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), every person has been exposed to some level of mercury, and the fact that it has not affected them means it has not accumulated to toxic levels or the exposure was not fatal like in cases of industrial exposure.

For example, methylmercury is easily consumed through fish and shellfish according to the global health body.

"Methylmercury exposure in the womb can result from a mother's consumption of fish and shellfish. It can adversely affect a baby's growing brain and nervous system. The primary health effect of methylmercury is impaired neurological development," states WHO.

This, according to WHO may affect cognitive thinking, language development, muscle movement, visual ability and memory in the unborn child.

But considering you have been taking this contaminated sugar in moderate quantities, it may take years before the effect of the heavy metal takes a toll on your health.

“Some of these effects you may not see them now but these chemicals, for example, mercury accumulates in your body and you get years down the line when you are 70 you are diagnosed with cancer and you wonder, where did that come from?” said Kunyanga