The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) on Tuesday announced that the sugar in distribution is clean.
During a meeting with the National Assembly committees on Trade and Industry, KEBS acting Managing-Director Moses Ikiara conveyed that fresh tests had conducted to ascertain that the sugar is fit for consumption.
Mr Ikiara assured that the test did not find any traces of mercury, arsenic, lead and copper in the samples that were collected from various parts of the country.
KEBS collected 53 samples from 17 counties and also tested some of the sugar that was being held at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters along Kiambu Road.
[caption caption="Police officers stand guard over tonnes of sugar impounded over claims of contamination with copper and lead"]
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Ikiara added that 15 of the tested samples failed the quality test based on moisture, yeast and mould, colour, total viable count and polarisation.
The MD further revealed that KEBS went back to test all the impounded sugar which was about 1,319,668, 50-kg bags.
The operatives collected 66 samples which represent about 1,266,351 50-kg bags of the seized sugar.
They reported that, of the tested samples, 157,392 had met the standards for human consumption while 837,244 did not.
The MD also noted that 705,000 seized bags were meant for processing, therefore, they were also redeemed as being compliant.
KEBS Director in charge of Quality and Assurance Bernard Nguyo told the committee that the contaminated sugar was found in bags marked Brazilian raw sugar, Diamond Wholesalers and Kabras.
[caption caption="KEBS directors from left: Moses Kihara, Geoffrey Muriira, Bernard Nguyo, and Henry Kibet appear before the joint Trade and Agriculture committee on July 3, 2018"]
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