The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) suspended 10 brands of cooking oil, leading to concerns about the safety of similar products on the market.
Concerns about product safety were allayed by KEBS, and the body also provided information on how Kenyans can verify that goods meet safety standards.
In a press release, KEBS announced the launch of an SMS line through which buyers of cooking oil can check its quality.
How To Check
Sending the codes found on cooking oil containers as an SMS message to the number 20023 will reveal whether or not the oil is safe to use.
You may find the codes on the side of containers just below the KEBS standardization mark.
“To check the validity of the quality marks on products sold or purchased, one should send the code (numbers) underneath the Standardization Mark logo to 20023.
“Type message SM# Code or ISM#code, for local and imported products respectively, and SMS to 20023 to get product manufacturing details and permit validity status,” read the statement in part.
You can verify a product’s KEBS-approval status and learn more about it by sending an SMS and receiving that information.
The resulting KEBS message includes details about the product itself as well as its brand, maker, release date, and expiration date.
In the event that some of the information is missing, it is necessary to report the product to KEBS.
“If the details are different, invalid or not traceable to the platform, retailers should not purchase, stock or offer for sale the products but instead report to KEBS through toll-free number 1545 during official working hours 8.00 a.m to 1.00 p.m and 2.00 p.m to 5.00 p.m from Monday to Friday.
“Always validate the quality marks of the products stocked for sale and any person found offering for sale substandard products contravenes the law and is liable for prosecution, ” KEBS stated.