Uganda urges maize flour dealers to adhere to quality standards after Kenya import ban

Uganda's state-run standards agency on Tuesday said all maize millers in the country must be certified before putting their product on the market.

Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) in a statement issued here said maize flour dealers must adhere to quality standards or risk being prosecuted.

The tough stance comes amid a ban by Kenya on the importation of maize flour from Uganda over safety concerns.

The standards agency said the millers have a six-month ultimatum which expires in June to have their facilities certified by the UNBS.

"Violation of this regulation attracts a fine not exceeding five hundred currency points or imprisonment not exceeding five years or both," the statement said.

The agency advised the millers to among others to store maize or maize flour on pallets to avoid contact with damp floors that could lead to moulds and aflatoxin contamination of maize and maize flour.

The millers were also advised to avoid using unacceptable pest control methods like spraying with pesticides and insecticides which contaminate the maize flour.