Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) declared a large consignment of imported edible oil unfit for human consumption.
This followed a series of laboratory tests conducted on samples of the imported edible oil which failed to meet the standards required before hitting the shelves, Citizen TV reported on Sunday, December 3.
According to the tests conducted KEBS established that for fat content the Edible Oils exceeded the required amount by 0.47 per cent by mass containing 99.97 instead of the required 99.5. For moisture and matter volatile at 105°C, while the required standard is 0.2, the oils subjected to the test contained 0.03.
The acid value of the edible oils measured, potassium hydroxide in milligrams was 0.12 whilst the required standard is 0.6. For the amount of peroxide oxygen per kilogram of oil, while the requirement is 10, the Edible Oils contained 5.42.
The KEBS examination also found that the imported oil contained 0.04 of insoluble impurities while the required standard is 0.05.
“The consignments have been rejected and the importer 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 at the importer’s cost.
“Kenya Bureau of Standards subjected consignments entry number 23MBAIM402473344, 23MBAIM403321628, and 23MBAIM403235943 to test against the Kenya Standardization Specification for Fortified Edible Oils and Fats.
“The results established that the consignments failed to comply in Vitamin A and Insoluble Impurities” KEBS stated in a letter addressed to the Managing Director of the Kenya National Trading Corporation.
So far several officials have been grilled by DCI in connection with the edible oil saga.
