Consumers Still Purchasing The Suspended Oil Brands

Supermarkets and retail stores in Nairobi are still selling the brands of cooking oil that were suspended by KEBs on Friday. A spot check by Soko Directory on Monday morning in some of the supermarkets in Nairobi CBD showed that these brands are still on shelves and consumers are still purchasing them.

“This is to notify your members to recall these brands and remove them from the supply chain from your members’ outlets across the country,” Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS)’s Director for Market Surveillance Peter Kaigwara said in a letter to the Retailers Trade Association of Kenya (RETRAK).

The ten brands that were suspended include; Bahari Fry, Fresh Fri, Fresh Fri with Garlic Oil, Fry Mate, Gold, Pure Olive Gold, Postman, Rina, Salit, Tilly, and Top Fry.

Kaigwara said the brands have not been banned but will be removed from the markets and undergo verification before being restocked.

“Kindly note that this is not a ban on the brands but a temporary suspension to allow the manufacturers of the non-compliant brands to initiate and put in place effective corrective action under KEGS supervision to ensure that the non-compliant brands comply with the requirements of the respective Kenya Standards and Standards Act Cap 496, Laws of Kenya before being allowed back into the market,” read the letter in part.

According to KEBS, the move is aimed at protecting consumers from potential harm, safeguarding the interests of manufacturers who have complied with the standards, and allowing the manufacturers of the affected brands to comply as directed under its supervision.

The order by the standard body affected all the leading manufacturers such as Pwani oil, Bidco Africa, Kapa Oil, and Menengai Oil refineries, meaning that supply will be affected in the coming days.

In a statement, Pwani oil, Bidco Africa, and Kapa oil defended their product insisting that they were compliant with the said standards.

“We reiterate that our manufacturing process for edible oils and fats, has always adhered to the best industry practices regarding receipt and storage of raw materials, in-process monitoring, product quality control, and storage of the final product and this quality standard applies to all our brands,’’ Pwani Oil Products Limited said in a statement.

Cooking oil prices have increased by more than 30 percent since the end of last year. The suspension is likely to affect prices as demand soar.  A liter of the commodity is now retailing at between 425 shillings and 444 shillings. This has seen some consumers shift to solid alternatives which have multiple health risks.

Related Content: KEBS Suspends 10 Cooking Oil Brands Over Quality Concerns