Food trucks intercepted at Nimule.

NIMULE, EASTERN EQUATORIA, (Eye Radio) – The South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS) has rejected and returned eight trucks carrying food items after laboratory tests confirmed they were unfit for human consumption due to high levels of aflatoxins, a harmful toxin produced by certain melds.

This is the third incident in one month that the SSNBS intercepted substandard goods attempting to enter the country through the Nimule border point.

According to Estella Joan Angelo, the Deputy Director for Quality Assurance, the rejected trucks included five trucks of maize flour, one truck of beans and two trucks of maize and rice grain.

Ms. Angelo said these products were tested against the East African regional standards. She said the contaminated food items, mainly imported from Uganda, were found to exceed acceptable aflatoxin levels, posing serious health risks if consumed.

She said the SSNBS emphasized the importance of food safety enforcement at border points and assured the public that such contaminated items would not be allowed into local markets.

“We have five trucks of maize flour, we have one truck for beans, we have two trucks for maize. So those eight trucks are rejected for export to the country of origin,” she said.

“The reason is that they saw that there is a higher level of aflatoxin, because in the lab, we are using a standard specification, which is East Africa standard, where the product is not good for human consumption, then we export it back to the country of the origin.

“We know most of the things like maize now, and then these beans, most of them have been imported from Uganda, our neighboring country.”

The agency reiterated commitment to protecting public health by enforcing compliance with national and regional standards. Importers are strongly advised to ensure their products meet all applicable regulatory requirements prior to entry into South Sudan.

On April 13, SSNBS has ordered the return of six trucks carrying 3,840 bags of white sorghum back to Tanzania after the consignment was deemed unfit for human consumption upon arrival at the Nimule entry point.

The incident was reported days after SSNBS intercepted and dumped four tons of yellow peas and maize grains attempting to enter South Sudan through the Nimule border point after the consignment failed mandatory safety and quality checks.