A Kenyan cooking oil company that has had its product temporarily suspended by Kenya’s Bureau of Standards (Kebs) over quality concerns has told the BBC that their product is safe.
“The concern is on the amount of iron in the products. We have done our independent testing and our products are above the Kebs requirement,” Rajul Malde, Director of Pwani Oil Products said.
“We have shared our test results with Kebs and we expect a response this afternoon,” Mr Malde continued.
Kenya’s standards regulator has suspended the sale of 10 cooking oil products over health and quality concerns.
In a letter to the retail shops and supermarkets, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) said the brands failed routine quality tests.
It ordered that the brands be withdrawn from shelves immediately.
The standards body however clarified that the directive was not a ban, but a temporary suspension until the manufacturers meet specified quality requirements.
In the letter to the Retail Traders Association of Kenya, a body comprising supermarkets and large-scale retailers, Kebs says the listed products should undergo fresh verification before they can be released back to the market.
The 10 brands listed are manufactured by Bidco Africa, Pwani Oil Products, Kapa Oil Refineries and Menengai Oil Refineries – the four largest edible oil companies in Kenya.
The BBC has reached out to two of the companies but they are yet to respond to the allegations.
Industry sources say Kebs and the oil manufacturers are meeting on Friday to iron out the issues.
Source: BBC