Kebs Denies Any Wrongdoing Following Ban of Maize and Porridge Flour Brands

Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has denied any wrongdoing in the banning of 27 maize flour brands.

Kebs managing director, Bernard Njiraini, on Thursday said due process was followed before the maize meal brands were withdrawn from the market.

Njiraini maintained that agency wrote to manufacturers before banning the sale of their “substandard” products.

He said that while the aflatoxin level requirement for maize is 10 parts per billion (ppb), there were instances of 100 ppb in the flours that were banned.

Read: Tupike, Pembe Among 27 “Substandard” Maize Flour Brands Banned by Kebs

“We did the letters to manufacturers, telling them that they have not met this requirement, and withdraw the products,” he said.

The toxic maize brands included; Budget, Equatorial Ugali Afya, Fahali , Family and Pembe flour.

Others were; Riri, Sima Tamu, Tupike, Ugali Bora, Unga Sawa, Uwezo and Ziwa.

Blacklisted porridge brands included; Soko Wimbi Mix, Winnies Pure Health-Ugali Afya, Greenhouse Pride Polished Wimbi with Milk Powder, Golden Porridge Flour Sour Uji Mix, Najah Nutrition Food Family Porridge, Natasha Porridge, Excellent Nutritious Porridge.

Read Also: Kebs Seizes Sub-standard Masks at Quickmart, Ruai

Others were; Split Peas Flour Unga Wa Bhajia, Generation Wimbi Porridge Flour, Famila Natures Food The Original Ujimix (sour porridge), Rest Food Products Afya Bora Kinara Porridge, Narisha Plus, Rimwambi Soya Porridge Mix and Wimbi Safi Marss.

On Tuesday, Cereal Millers Association (CMA) faulted Kebs for going public with the matter before verifying and validating results with the affected brands.

“This would have been the most effective way of dealing with the matter, ensuring that it does not happen again and making sure proper recall procedures for specific batches rather than in its entirety, were followed to get the products off the shelf as effectively as possible,” said the millers association.

“It is unfortunate that some of our millers who appeared in the press release have still not been informed why they were non-compliant.”

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