KEBS Change Tune To Approve KSh 17b Cooking Oil, Says Its Not Poisonous

• Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) refutes allegations that the KSh 17 billion edible oil is poisonous
• KEBS stated that the parameters that were not met during the first testing were not health parameters
• KEBS assured Kenyans that it is committed to ensuring the quality and safety of products sold in the country

Elijah Ntongai, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, leverages more than three years of expertise in financial, business, and technology research, providing profound insights into both Kenyan and global economic trends.

Wednesday 6, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) refuted allegations that the KSh 17 billion edible oil shipment brought in by the government via the Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) was unsafe for human consumption.

KEBS, in a statement on X, reaffirmed after re-inspection and testing that the oil from KNTC met safety standards without any concerns.

Vitamin A

KEBS stated that although the sampled edible oils did not meet the Vitamin A levels specified in the Kenyan Standard, this is not a health and safety parameter; hence, the oil is not poisonous.

"From the tests done, the edible oil complied with all the health and safety parameters of the applicable Kenya Standard (KS EAS 769: 2019). However, the sampled edible oils did not meet the Vitamin A levels specified in the Kenyan Standard. This is not a health and safety parameter, KEBS communicated the results to KNTC," the statement read.

"We would like to assure the public that KEBS is committed to ensuring the safety and quality of all locally manufactured and imported products into the country," KEBS reiterated.

Previous findings

Explaining the previous results that showed the oil did not meet the required nutritional values, KEBS said that they used the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVC) method to evaluate the quality of the edible oil, a standard procedure for assessing imported goods, which is routinely conducted at the entry port.

Purpose of PVC

Implementing PVC in the exporting country helps safeguard the Kenyan market against substandard products, ensuring compliance with KEBS's technical regulations, mandatory standards, or approved specifications.

Edible oil declared unfit for consumption

In other stories related to the KSh 17 billion edible oil, the consignment which had gone missing was declared unfit for consumption.

Details indicated that a letter dated September 5, 2023, from KEBS to the Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) detailed that the 125,000 metric tonnes of cooking oil imported by the state entity was unfit for human consumption.

"The consignments number 23MBAIM402473344, 23MBAIM403321628, and 23MBAIM403235943 have been rejected, and KNTC is hereby advised to reship them back to the country of origin within 30 days from the date of this letter, failure to which they shall be destroyed," read KEBS letter in part.