KEBS BANS FIVE MAIZE MEAL BRANDS FOLLOWING AFLATOXIN ALERT

DOLA, JEMBE, KIFARU, STAREHE AND 210 BANNED FOLLOWING “THE WHITE ALERT”

The Kenya Bureau of Standards, KEBS on Saturday banned 5 maize brands following high levels of aflatoxin.

According to the KEBS Managing Director Bernard Njiraini the five brands: Dola, Jembe, Kifaru, Starehe and 210 contain high levels of aflatoxin than those recommended by the Standardization body.

Dola maize flour produced by Kitui Flour Mills, Kifaru by Alpha Grain Limited, Starehe which is owned by Pan African Grain Millers, 210 by Kenblest Limited and Jembe by Kensalrise will no longer be sold or stocked in any retail or wholesale shops in Kenya.

He further called upon retail or wholesale shops stocking the brands to return them to KEBS for destruction.

SUBSTANDARD

According to Njiraini, the afore-mentioned brands failed to meet the standards required by the Kenya Bureau of Standards.

KEBS licenses companies annually after testing their products to determine their quality but the five companies failed the test.

Njiraini made it clear that if the above-mentioned brands meet the required standards, the ban will be lifted.

In the meantime, Njiraini has urged the public to be on the lookout and to report anyone or any business enterprise that is still selling the five maize flour brands.

READ ALSO: SEVEN PROHIBITED SKIN LIGHTENING PRODUCTS SEIZED IN NAKURU, KENYA

CARO LIGHT, MOVATE CREAM, EPIDERM CREAM, MAXI, COCO PULP AND DERMACLAIR SEIZED IN NAKURU

Are you a regular user of Caro Light or Dermaclair? Well, it is high time you put an end to all this madness of defying an official government ban on these 2 and 4 other skin lightening products and accept yourself the way you are.

In case you are oblivious of the ban, I forgive your ignorance but now you are fully aware that the above-named products are banned by the government of Kenya.

According to an official statement by the Kenya Bureau of Standards, KEBS on its website, all skin care products ranging from lotions, gels, creams to soaps that contain hydroquinone, hormonal preparations and steroids should be approved by Pharmacy and Poison’s Board of the Ministry of Health for medical use.

Consequently, there are only six skin care products approved by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board for medicinal use: Mediven, Nerisone, Diprosone, Betnovate, Hydrocortisone and Oxy 5/10.

WARNING: THESE PRODUCTS SHOULD ONLY BE USED ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF A MEDICAL DOCTOR AND FOR SUCH PERIOD OF TIME AS THE DOCTOR MAY PRESCRIBE. THEY SHOULD NOT BE SOLD IN THE OPEN MARKET BUT ONLY IN REGISTERED PHARMACIES AND CHEMISTS.

Many African countries such as Ghana and Rwanda have also banned the use of the six bleaching products.