TBS lifts ban on OKI cooking oil

Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS)

The Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) has lifted a ban it imposed on sale, distribution and use of OKI palm cooking oil after establishing from Zanzibar counterparts that it was safe enough and that the public can use it.
However, it was learnt that fraudulent traders had at some stage counterfeited the product, with many Zanzibar residents getting worried about oil easily available in the market; which led to the action by TBS to impose a ban.
TBS Director General Joseph Masikitiko authorised a detailed analysis mid this week whose result suggested that OKI Palm Oil was counterfeited by fraudulent traders
But the Zanzibar Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Board maintained that genuine OKI was harmless while the Minister for Trade, Industries and Marketing Nassor Ahmed Marui told the House of Representative that the oil was safe.
Following the developments, Masikitiko said TBS collaborating with the Fair Competition Commission (FCC) and a manufacturer in Singapore, would make certain only the genuine OKI cooking oil enters the local market.
For instance, package volume would be 10 and 20 litre plastic jerry cans and oil certified TBS under the “TBS” mark certification scheme to use the quality mark. Additionally, it would involve selling of OKI brands through specified distribution channels, using appointed distributors.
He, however, said this did not cover OKI cooking oil sold in one litre, two litre, three litre and five litre plastic jerry cans because they have been proved to be substandard.
The OKI cooking oil ban had also included VIKING and ASMA as TBS had not guaranteed their quality as the traders in the products were yet to appear before the hoard of standards, which had also ordered to recall the brands from market. Measures were under way to get rid of the two brands of oil from the mark.
Meanwhile interviewed products users expressed doubts about TBS ability to analyse products before hitting the market and pose a danger to society.
The three types of oils reportedly failed to meet the 559:2010 TZS National Standard and were imported from Malaysia through av unauthorised port at Mbweni in Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam.