This archive report was first published on 4 November 2019.
Published on November 4, 2019, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has taken a significant step in protecting the health of Kenyan citizens by suspending several food products containing cancer-causing substances.
KEBS found that products from Nuteez peanut butter, True nuts, Fressy, Supa meal, Fressy by Fressy Food Company Limited, Sue's Naturals, Zesta, and Nutty by Nature peanut butter had higher levels of aflatoxin than the limit allowed.
Aflatoxins are a family of toxins produced by certain fungi that are found on agricultural crops such as maize (corn), peanuts, cottonseed, and tree nuts.
Exposure to aflatoxins is associated with an increased risk of liver cancer. People can be exposed to aflatoxins by eating contaminated plant products (such as peanuts) or by consuming meat or dairy products from animals that ate contaminated feed.
KEBS has instructed the companies manufacturing these products to discontinue, recall all the substandard products, and institute corrective actions.
