One of expired sack of maize impounded in Yei town/Courtesy photo

Yei County authorities have confiscated large quantities of maize flour believed to be either contaminated or expired from shopkeepers in the market.

Justin Luwate, Yei Chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce said the move came after some buyers complained they
discovered ‘spongy like objects’ and stinking smells in the food product.

“We got a lot of reports that the maize flour in the market was not good; that it is expired and smelly and these complaints continued to come from various people.”

Mr. Luwate said the concerns prompted the area Commissioner to issue an order directing the county health officials to conduct a search and confiscate the food product.

“So that it triggered public health officials to conduct a search in the market and indeed they got additional information that there was spongy material in the maize flour.”

Mr. Luwate said no adverse effects were recorded from the consumption of the allegedly expired flour.

in November last year, South Sudan National Bureau of Standards warned that the country was feeding on substandard food due to inability to examine imported goods.

South Sudan rely entirely on Kenya and Uganda for all of its imports.

Tomatoes, onions, maize flour, rice, cooking oil, dairy products and beans are some of the food items still being imported from neighboring countries.

Mary Gordon Muortat who is the Chief Executive Officer of South Sudan National Bureau of Standard said this has been happening because her institutions lack the resources to protect South Sudan from harmful products.

While making the remarks, Mrs. Muortat also disclosed that over 500 bags of inferior sorghum were earlier impounded which were meant for the South Sudan Peoples Defense Forces or the SSPDF.

The Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs had confirmed the importation of the food adding that, directives were given for the sorghum to be destroyed.

Angelina Teny however did not name the company that bought the 500 bags of sorghum for the army.