Five maize flour brands suspended over aflatoxin

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has suspended five maize flour brands after they were found to contain excess levels of aflatoxin.

The affected brands are Dola Maize Meal (Kitui Flour Mills), Kifaru Maize Meal (Alpha Grain Limited), Starehe Maize Meal (Pan African Grain Millers), 210 Two Ten Maize Meal (Kenblest Limited), and Jembe Maize Meal (Kensalrise Limited).

Consequently, the respective permits of the five firms have been suspended.

The statutory body also directed and firms manufacturing the affected products to discontinue, recall them from the market and take corrective measures to ensure they adhere to the set standards.

KEBS has also seized the products and instructed supermarkets countrywide to remove the same from their shelves.

“Additionally, the manufacturers are required to recall all the substandard maize meal products from the market and institute corrective actions.  The affected manufacturers will, therefore, be required to institute corrective actions whose effectiveness shall be confirmed by KEBS before the suspension of permits is lifted” said KEBS in a statement released on Saturday.

KEBS said it will continue to undertake market surveillance and factory inspections.

“Substandard products found will be seized for destruction at the expense of the owner in addition to any other legal action as provided under the law including alerting the public”, added KEBs.

Early this week, KEBS suspended seven peanut butter products and the permits of their parent companies over aflatoxin contamination.