KEBS Bans More Sanitizer Brands Over Quality Concerns

Three months after banning eight hand sanitizer brands over fears that the products did not meet the required quality threshold, the Kenya Bureau of Statistics (KEBS) has struck again, this time banning thirty hand sanitizer brands over the same reasons.

In a statement, the standards regulator stated that the 30 hand sanitizer brands do not meet the requirements of KS EAS 789; Kenya Standard specification for instant hand sanitizers. 

This standard has set the minimum requirement of the alcohol content at 60%v/v that must be complied with before the products are certified and issued with the mandatory standardization mark permits and offered for sale.

“Sanitizers contain antiseptic properties or agents that when used disinfects the hands and can be used on their own when soap and water is not available. They protect users by eliminating or reducing viruses, bacteria and other disease-causing pathogens. Therefore, the use of none compliant sanitizers would dupe Kenyans into a false sense of security that they have properly sanitized thereby undermining the efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19,” the regulator said in the statement.

“It is against this background that we share with the public the below listed substandard/none-compliant sanitizers which have been found not to meet the standard and whose permits have been suspended with immediate effect to enable consumers make informed choices that will help to ‘flatten the curve’ of spread and infection of COVID-19. The public shall also be informed once these anomalies have been corrected and the products are conforming,” added the regulator.

The manufacturers of the 30 hand sanitizer brands have been ordered to discontinue manufacturing the products and recall the already distributed ones from the market and institute corrective actions whose effectiveness shall be confirmed by KEBS before the suspension of permits is lifted.

“Manufacturers are advised to strictly adhere to marking and labeling requirements as per the relevant Standard. In addition, manufacturers shall state the composition of the sanitizers,” KEBS said in the statement.

The thirty hand sanitizer brands and their manufacturers are listed below;

While banning the other hand sanitizer brands in June, KEBS observed it had reached the decision to blacklist the select brand of sanitizers after the brands failed quality tests and consequently withdrew standardization mark permits from the manufacturers.

The brands in question include Alphax, Clean Essentials, G& L, Gentle Care, Lili, Msiri, Shi shi Natural, and Spotless Advanced.

The brands are manufactured by Kings Palace Ruiru, Virtuelle Products, Orange Pharma, Bidco Africa, Kenbrands International Company, Mafleva International Limited, Shishi Naturals, Havana East African Trading Limited respectively.

Some of the brands including Gentle Care have instituted corrective actions and had their standardization permits restored.

On July 28, the regulator also ordered three manufacturers it accused of selling poor quality face masks to discontinue manufacturing and recall its products from the market and institute corrective actions over what the regulator described as endangering the lives of Kenyans.

KEBS listed Wandas General Supplies the manufacturer of the Wandas brand of facemasks, Arax Mills Ltd the manufacturer of Arax brand of masks and Hela Intimates EPZ Ltd as poor quality facemasks manufacturers and observed that the three firms will only be allowed to distribute face masks again in the Kenyan market when they meet standards set by the regulator.

“The manufacturers are required to recall all the substandard masks from the market and institute corrective actions whose effectiveness shall be confirmed by KEBS before the suspension of the standardization mark permits is lifted. Manufacturers are also advised to strictly adhere to marking and labeling requirements as per the relevant Standard,” the regulator said in the statement.

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