The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has blacklisted 27 maize and porridge flour brands for failing to meet quality standards.
Among common maize brands blacklisted include; Pembe, Budget, Equatorial Ugali Afya, Fahali, and Family flour. Others are; Riri, Sima Tamu, Tupike, Ugali Bora, Unga Sawa, Uwezo and Ziwa.
Blacklisted porridge brands including; Soko Wimbi Mix, Famila Natures Food, Narisha Plus, Golden Porridge Flour Sour Uji Mix, Natasha Porridge, among others.
In a statement, KEBS says the brands have not complied with the requirements and therefore should not be sold to the public until further notice.
” “KEBS conducts factory inspections, product certifications and market surveillance activities to monitor the quality of products sold to Kenyans at varied points of sale to give an assurance to the public on the status of the products they buy. As part of product certification scheme, KEBS issues standardization mark (S-Mark) permits to manufacturers for products whose compliance to standards have been ascertained. In addition, KEBS also collects samples from the market to ensure that the products placed in the market by the operators have adhered to the requirements on the S-Mark and by extension, the relevant standard.” Said the statement
The bureau ordered manufacturers of the brands to cease forthwith manufacturing or offering for sale the affected flour brands.
Manufacturers have been instructed to recall all the substandard composite flour products from the market and institute effective corrective actions.
” Consequently, the manufacturers in the list are instructed to cease forthwith manufacturing or offering for sale the affected maize meal and composite flour brands; and are instructed to recall all the substandard composite flour products from the market and institute effective corrective actions whose effectiveness shall be confirmed by KEBS before resumption of production and placement of the brands in the market. We also take this opportunity to urge the public to notify us as and when they find the above brands in the market through our toll-free number 1545,” read part of the statement.
Last year, KEBS ordered for the withdrawal of 17 maize meal brands from the market saying they contained high levels of aflatoxin hence unsafe for human consumption.
They included African King, Unique, MLO, City Corn, Sarafina, Tosha, Shiba, Hakika Best, Budget, Wema, Jomba, Adardere Mupa, Afya, Uzima, Tetema and Dola
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