Efforts to reach Kebs managing director Benard Njiraini were unsuccessful as he did not reply to our email nor respond to the calls.
The Business Daily, however learnt that Kebs lacked adequate capacity to conduct the tests, leaving consumers at a crossroad.
The safety of a popular Spanish olive oil retailing in the local market remains uncertain as the standards regulator stayed silent two months after it allegedly commenced an investigation.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) had in August said it would look into the safety of the pomace olive oil, that had been withdrawn from shop shelves in the United Arabs Emirates amid claims that some grades of the product may contain some cancer-causing substances.
Efforts to reach Kebs managing director Benard Njiraini were unsuccessful as he did not reply to our email nor respond to the calls.
The Business Daily, however learnt that Kebs lacked adequate capacity to conduct the tests, leaving consumers at a crossroad.
“That parameter is not one of the specified in our standards and we lack the capacity to test it,” a source at Kebs told the Business Daily.
Spanish authorities in July banned exports of pomace olive oil amid claims that some consignments contained high levels of potentially cancer-causing chemicals in oil extracted from pulpy residue.
Mr Njiraini had two months ago said samples of the Spanish olive oil in the Kenyan market would be tested for safety before a decision is taken.
“Kebs is therefore undertaking sample collection for analysis and results will help us make the decision,” he said then in an e-mailed response.
“Our procedures include in-depth investigations before reacting to any allegations, which entail the collection of random samples and subjecting them to Lab analysis. If the products are imported and had been issued with a certificate of conformity, we contact the inspection agency to ascertain the results of certificate of analysis of that product.”
Kebs had said it would contact its Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVOC) agents to ascertain the results of the certificate of analysis of the products on sale in the Kenyan market.
Pomace oil is extracted from the olive pulp leftover from the production of higher quality oils using chemical solvents.
The grade four olive oil was found to be contaminated with the chemical alpha benzopyrenes, which is carcinogenic. An export ban on other grades of the product has since been lifted by Spanish authorities.
Olive oil has become popular in diets in the world — propped by its numerous health benefits, including cutting the risk of heart attacks.
It is an oil high in an ingredient known as monounsaturates needed to control cholesterol levels, and vitamin E, which helps to stave off heart disease.
The popularity of olive oil has, however, become problematic globally amid concerns that some crooks may be taking advantage of the craze to sell cheap and unsafe versions.
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