KEBS clears Indomie for exports amid regional ban

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has cleared Indomie safe for consumption leading to possible lifting of ban placed on the noodle product by Rwanda.

According to KEBS Director of Quality Assurance and Inspection Dr Geoffrey Muriira, the standards body conducted test on 94 Indomie noodles from selected outlets across the country and found none to be contaminated with said aflatoxins.

Dr Murrira says KEBS did not find any imported Indomie product in its database despite calls by consumer bodies to ban the products from local sales over alert issued by Egyptian authorities.

“Indomie has been granted Diamond Mark of Quality which is issued to premium products which have exceeded standards. When the alert went out, from inspection database, KEBS found out that there was no import of Indomie that came from Egypt,” said Dr Muriira.

KEBS says it tested three ingredients used to manufacture the noodle individually and found no traces of contaminants on the raw materials which Salim Wazaran Kenya Company Limited, the local manufacturer of Indomie, uses to make the food.

“We went to another extent of isolating the ingredients. We got the chilly, the boom sauce and pasta. We analyzed for the contaminants and I want to report that we did not detect any of those contaminants, “added Dr. Muriira.

Speaking during the marking of the World Metrology Day, KEBS also cleared KinderJoy and Kinder Surprise safe for consumption after alert was issued in EU over salmonella contamination.

This comes as manufacturers are being challenged to ensure the measurements of their products are accurate and internationally accepted by leveraging on smart technologies in order ensure value for consumers.

“When you have equipment which is not calibrated, you don’t have confidence on what you are producing. It’s very important that those instruments are accurate so that they can make accurate decisions,” said Dr. Henry Rotich, KEBS Director for Metrology.

Use of incorrect measurements is also being attributed to shorter shelf life of products which also lead to losses on the part of manufacturers and retailers.