The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has assured Kenyans that there is no cause for alarm regarding the Indomie noodles that have so far been banned in Rwanda and Egypt among other countries.
This is after it maintained that there is no connection between the products recalled in Egypt and the ones in Kenya.
KEBS biochemical testing laboratory in Nairobi will be busy for the next four days trying to rush against time to deliver results on the safety of Indomie consumption in the country.
“We have received 94 instant noodles samples from our market surveillance teams, and at the moment the test requests are on two, that is the pesticide residues and aflatoxins,” said Tom Oduor, Ag. Head of testing at KEBS.
The safety tests on the instant noodles were brought about after the Food and Safety Authority in Egypt recalled the chicken, chilli, and vegetable flavors of the product from their market, citing excess quantities of aflatoxins and pesticide residues.
The Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) Competition Commission also raised the alarm that similar products are being imported and marketed in the other Member States, including Kenya.
“We did not import any products from Egypt, however, we have a local manufacturer of Indomie instant noodles called Salim Wazaran. Of course, the brand or trademark could be a franchise, but the company manufacturing this product is sourcing their raw materials locally and importing some ingredients,” said Bernard Njiraini, KEBS Managing Director.
Rwanda has already banned the products over safety concerns; Rwanda imports instant noodles from Kenya. Ghana is also reviewing the product by testing samples from their manufacturing facility.
According to KEBS, the preliminary results are promising as there are no excess aflatoxins beyond the 10 ppb that is required of the standard.
KEBS states that they will be forced to withdraw the products from the shelves should investigations confirm the existence of aflatoxins beyond the specified level.
