Kebs recalls unfit maize flour brands 

Ndovu Maize Flour is among 14 maize meal brands that have been flagged by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) for non-compliance with the health standards set by the agency.  

This follows a market surveillance conducted on maize meal brands in circulation across the country last month.

The damning surveillance report also flagged maize meal brands including Jema sifted maize flour, Jibu maize flour, Jodari, Mugambo sifted maize flour, Prestige, Range Corn, Sima Tamu fortified maize meal, Winnies Ugali Afya and Top White sifted maize meal. 

Others are Bel's Organic composite meal flour, Diamond, Family and Jasiri sifted maize. 

In a letter dated October 25, 2021 by Kebs Director of Market Surveillance Peter Kaigwara, the standards agency informed the above mentioned retailers to recall all the affected batches and remove them from their supply chain in all outlets across the country. 

"Following market surveillance conducted on maize meal brands in circulation across the country in the month of October, 2021, Kebs detected non-compliance with the Standards Act Cap 496, Laws of Kenya," read in part the letter addressed to Ms Wambui Mbarire, chief executive officer of Retail Traders Association of Kenya.

"The purpose of this mail is to bring to your attention the below listed non-compliant maize meal brands and to request your good office to notify your members to recall these brands’ batches and remove them from the supply chain of your members' outlets across the country," read the letter. 

Mr Kaigwara further said it is the responsibility of the brand owners to demonstrate compliance of the other untested batches before any continued sale.

He, however, clarified that the recall order is not a ban on the affected maize meal brands but a temporary measure to give room for the necessary corrective action to be undertaken by the concerned manufacturers to eliminate any anomalies in their production processes. 

Validate quality marks

"We encourage your members to share with us the quantities of each of the brands withdrawn from the shelves to enable us track them and ensure that what is unfit is not returned into circulation. 

"Please encourage your members to always validate the quality marks of products stocked for sale and remind them that any person found offering for sale substandard products contravenes the law and is liable for prosecution," added Mr Kaigwara. 

The director explained that KEBS implements a product certification scheme which certifies and issues product certification marks such as standardization mark permit or diamond mark permit of quality once the products' compliance with the requirements of the applicable Kenyan standards are ascertained. 

Further, compliant imported products are issued with a unique consignment reference number.

To verify the products certification quality marks, all retail outlets are notified that KEBS has a short message service on mobile phones for verifying the validity of the permit numbers, he said. 

To check the validity of quality marks on products sold or purchases, retailers should send the code underneath the Standardization Mark logo to 20023 for both local and imported products to get product manufacturing details and permit validity status. 

“Alternatively, those with smartphones can download KEBS App from play store. Once installed, they can use it to verify certified products by typing in the certification permit number. If the details are invalid, different or untraceable to the platform, retailers should not purchase , stock or offer for sale the products but instead report to KEBS on toll free number 1545 during official working hours between Monday and Friday,” said Mr Kaigwara.