This archive report was first published on 12 November 2019.
Carrefour, a French retail giant, has been at the center of a controversy surrounding the sale of toxic maize flour. According to reports, the company sold Dola maize flour at a discounted price, sparking outrage among customers.
However, Carrefour has refuted claims that it sold the toxic flour, stating that the special promotion on Dola flour was negotiated with the supplier weeks ago without knowing the ongoing investigations from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs). The promotion was valid from November 1 until November 3, 2019.
Carrefour Kenya took to Twitter to address the issue, stating that customers who had purchased the affected flour could return it and receive a refund at any of their branches. The company also emphasized that it had withdrawn all the maize flour mentioned in a list by Kebs.
On November 9, 2019, Kebs banned several maize flour products, including Dola Maize Meal by Kitui Flour Mills, Kifaru Maize Meal by Alpha Grain Limited, Starehe Maize Meal by Pan African Grain Millers, 210 Two Ten Maize Meal Kenblest Limited, and Jembe Maize Meal Kensalrise Limited, due to non-compliance with standards during market surveillance.
