The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has embarked on a nationwide crackdown that seeks to cushion Kenyans from consumption of unregulated food products.
KEBS Principal Standards Officer, Peter Mutua said the agency had also intensified Pre-Shipment inspection of food-related products to avert infiltration of counterfeits into the Kenyan market.
He said the agency would make it mandatory for all companies seeking to introduce food additives to back approval requests by scientific studies proving their safety.
Mutua warned that local manufacturers would be de-registered and licenses canceled in the event their products were found unsafe.
“We have intensified pre-shipment inspections to ensure food additives products that enter the country through our entry points are safe to use. In an event we have counterfeited scenarios we confiscate the products completely out of the market,” said Mutua.
And to tighten its operations, the government agency on Wednesday rolled out a nationwide sensitization to stakeholders in the food sector on save use of food additives, to ensure they adhere to set regulations.
“Mis-use of food additives are poisonous to persons health and that is why we are seriously engaging relevant stakeholders to ensure safe use of food additives in the country,” said Mutua.
He said the Agency that is in partnership with Egerton University to make it a mandatory for all companies seeking to introduce food additives to back approval requests by scientific studies proving the safety of the additives.
Mutua noted that the regulation also involves ensuring that food additives are used in required amounts and in specific food products as recommended by the country’s national guidelines.
The law requires that manufacturers label their products and provide a list of all additives included. Some do that using names while others prefer to use a recognised numbering system to identify the additives.
He also revealed Kenya had adopted the CODEX Standards, which were championed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
These guidelines are recognised and accepted globally in international trade. According to the CODEX standards, it is mandatory for manufacturers to include on the ingredients list, the name of each food additive used in their products (and not just give numbers).
Article was first published on Kbc news online