The government has recalled paint brands which contain lead that can cause serious health problems in children.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) told Parliament that the non-compliant paints have been recalled from the market and seized for destruction at the owners’ cost as stipulated in the Kebs Act.
Kebs said it has since directed firms whose paints were found to contain toxic substances to cease production and recall the products. The standards body did not name the firms found selling the paints laced with toxic substances such as lead, arsenic and volatile organic compounds (VOC).
Kebs managing director Bernard Njiraini said the latest surveillance activity on paints shows that three out of 50 samples tested failed to comply with the standards.
The Kebs inspected paint products, varnishes and white spirit and the samples were taken from Machakos, Makueni, Kitui, Narok and Bomet.
Kebs said the paints were subjected to testing and one sample failed in lead having returned a total lead content of 97.54 parts per million (ppm) while the requirement is 90 ppm maximum. He said all the other samples complied with the total lead requirement representing a percentage compliance of 98 percent in the area of lead.
“Most of the samples inspected for compliance with Standards Act, complied with all the tested parameters. Three had a few failures in non-safety-related parameters like surface drying time, gloss and solids content,” Mr Njiraini said.
He told the Senate Committee on Health that the market surveillance activity is meant to ensure that products in the market are compliant with the requirements of the relevant standards.
The surveillance is also aimed at ensuring that consumers are protected from harmful and unsafe products and get value for money. Mr Njiraini said through its product certification programme, Kebs has inspected, the tested and certified local paint and paint-related products manufacturers and issued the compliant ones with the Standardisation Mark.
“Resampling will be done for further confirmation of the quality of the products. The non-compliant paints have been recalled from the market and seized for destruction,” he said.
Mr Njiraini told lawmakers that constant surveillance and monitoring of products is ongoing targeting the non-compliant brands and those that have never been captured in recent surveillances. Kebs said it has developed standards for paint and paint-related products in collaboration with the industry, relevant stakeholders and in line with international best practice.
Kebs has set up testing facilities in Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa.
https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/news/kebs-recalls-paint-brands-containing-lead-3608296
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