Slimy business: Varsity mints cash from snails

Some of the cosmetic and beauty products from the snail slime that are being produced at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology(JKUA) Juja Campus. [James Wanzala, Standard]

Many people traditionally dislike snails, but for Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Juja main campus, they are a source of income.

The university uses a snail’s secretion called slime or mucin to produce beauty and cosmetic products.

According to the Head of the Department of Horticulture and Food Security Dr Paul Kinoti, who is behind the project, it aims to change people’s perception about snails.

“This is because they are now a source of beauty products, food for poultry and fish after the shells are grounded since they contain high calcium, which finally translates to income for snail farmers and creation of job opportunities,” said Dr Kinoti during an interview with Smart Harvest recently.

He says a snail’s shell once grounded, can also be used to make organic fertiliser and fortified into compost. 

Some of the snails being bred at JKUAT. [Denis Kibuchi, Standard]

Today, the university produces eight lines of beauty products from snail slime, including Bio-collagen Snail Soap with sunscreen, Snail Cream with Sunscreen, Bio -snail Hair Oil, Bio-snail Foam Cleanse, Bio-snail Repair Lotion, Bio-snail Face Serum and Bio-snail Face Wash. It is also in the process of coming up with a face toner.

The products have been certified by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) as safe for use.

“Most people import [beauty] products, some of which they don’t even know how they were processed or tested. You get a product from Korea, yet the skin colour, texture and characteristics are different from ours,” says Dr Kinoti.

He adds: “And so if we can be able to develop our own and make our people buy the idea and be able to use them, we will not only be able to create employment for the value chain but also enhance safety.”

Dr Kinoti says the university is also exploring more usage of snail slime in the pharmaceutical industry.

“We are now developing a cough syrup to address persistent coughs. Our role, because we have other partners, is to identify the molecule within the snail that produces a particular component of the slime that we can be able to multiply in terms of breeding so that now we can tap that homogeny,” he says.

So, how did the idea to start making beauty products from the snail come about?

Dr Kinoti did his PhD in Austria, where he lived next to an elderly farmer who kept snails.

“I got interested to know why he was doing that, although it was slightly different from my PhD work,” says Dr Kinoti.

“It was during that time that I learnt that there are a lot of benefits you can get from the snails, including generating an income.”

When he came back to Kenya, he interacted with some Italians, who used to come to the university to do some research work.

Dr Kinoti learnt that they made cosmetic and pharmaceutical products using snails’ slime at their Cherasco Farm.

“They engaged me for a three-month internship. I learnt quite a lot about how to farm snails, and when I came back, I realised there is a gap,” he says.

Dr Kinoti says the university has contracted and trained about 700 farmers in the country who supply it with snail slime from specific species of the animal. 

Dr Paul Kinoti, Head of Department of Horticulture and Food Security, a researcher and lecturer at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology(JKUAT) showing some of the beauty and cosmetic products from snail slime. [James Wanzala, Standard]

JKUAT mainly keeps snails for research and training purposes as it encourages farmers to commercialise snail farming for income generation.

Currently, it has approximately 1,500 snails in their demonstration farm.

“At JKUAT we do research using the snail species called Acahtina fulica for the following reasons - easier to manage compared to other species, well-suited to tropical and subtropical climates, species often favoured by beginner farmers due to its manageable size and relatively fast growth rate, species that is legally recommended for commercial farming in Kenya by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) since its native to East Africa and Kenya in particular,” he says.

“They are considered a delicacy for humans around the world since they are rich in Omega 3 as a source of protein. It is a cheap alternative source of fish feed as they breed quickly and in large amounts. Can be used to make organic fertiliser, chicken feed and biological compounds in clinical and experimental laboratories.”