KEBS issues update on Indomie after safety concern

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has said consumers of Instant noodles Indomie need not to worry over the safety of the product as it is safe for consumption.

KEBS have cleared the air saying that the products in Kenya are in no way linked to the ones recalled in Egypt.

The acting head of testing at KEBS Tom Oduor says they have received 94 samples and that tests requests are on for pesticide residues and aflatoxins.

“We have received 94 instant noodles samples from our market surveillance teams, and at the moment the tests requests are on two, that is the pesticide residues and aflatoxins,” he stated.

Kebs Boss Benard Njiraini Kebs Boss Benard Njiraini Pulse Live Kenya

Odour however pointed out that tests for pesticides could take time because of the preparation process for one sample and the number of pesticides being tested.

“For pesticides, the tests will take slightly longer because we’re taking about 4 hours to get one sample ready. And when we talk of pesticide residues, we’re not talking of one, it is a very big population of around 80 pesticides being done in one sample,” Oduor stated.

KEBS director Bernard Njiraini said results of preliminary tests done showed no poisonous substances that could harm consumers of the noodles, he said the amounts of aflatoxins in the samples were minimal and of no harm to the consumers of the product.

Njiraini clarified that the noodles consumed locally were not imported but manufactured locally.

Kebs Boss Benard Njiraini Kebs Boss Benard Njiraini Pulse Live Kenya

"We did not import any product from Egypt. However, we have a local manufacturer of Indomie instant noodles. The trademark could be a franchise but the company producing this material is sourcing the material from locals while importing some of the ingredients," he added.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), exposure to large amounts of pesticide cause acute food poisoning and may even lead to cancer.