Fresh revelations have emerged showing that Kenyans may have consumed unfit cooking oil following missteps at the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
Speaking during a Trade and Industrialization Senate Committee hearing, KEBS Managing Director Esther Ngari revealed that 32 million litres of unapproved edible oil were released into the market even after failing required standard tests.
Responding to questions from the committee, Ngari said, “We tested eight consignments, and the results showed failure. As far as KEBS is concerned these consignments were rejected and therefore the Kenya National Trade Corporation (KNTC) could not sell them out.”
Ngari told senators that even though KEBS wrote to KNTC to ship back or destroy the substandard oil, it did not have the power to stop the other 36 consignments of 32 million litres of cooking oil from being sold to Kenyans.
She continued to add that “the oil was unfit for human consumption” in response to a question posed by Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute.
On the other hand, the Director of Quality and Assurance at KEBS Geoffrey Murira said, “These products by the fact that they did not contain sufficient amount of vitamin A as prescribed by the standard they are substandard.
On whether the oil had been destroyed or shipped back, Ngare explained that “we did not destroy the oil because it was subject of an ongoing investigation”.
She added that 44 consignments out of the 73 that were shipped through the port of Mombasa had been cleared for entry into the market.
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Another KEBS Saga
This is not the first time KEBS has been embroiled in the importation of unfit cooking oil into the country.
In late 2023, KEBS reported that there was substandard cooking oil valued at Ksh 17 billion in circulation in Kenya.
However, KEBS later changed its stance saying the said consignment was fit for consumption.
In a statement on December 6, KEBS assured Kenyans that it had subjected the edible oil to safety measures as it is customary for imported goods.
The body affirmed that it had tested the safety of the edible oil and found that it was compliant with all the health and safety parameters of the applicable Kenya Standard.
Also Read: KEBS Clears Air on Safety of Ksh17B Edible Oil Said to Be Poisonous
However, KEBS reported that 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 said in a statement.
The Role of Vitamin A in Human Health
Vitamin A is a vital nutrient to the human body and refined cooking oil should have it at the right levels to benefit the body.
It is vital for normal growth playing a role in embryonic development, immune response, hearing and appetite, among other benefits.
A deficiency of vitamin A can cause eyesight problems, blindness, reduced resistance to infection, and an increased risk of mortality.
Additionally, vitamin A is oil soluble, and the body easily absorbs it if it added in oil.
Nonetheless, this nutrient is unstable when exposed to light, air, and heat.
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