South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS) has ordered return of six trucks carrying 3,840 bags of white sorghum to the country of origin after the consignment was found to be of substandard quality and unfit for human consumption.
According to a statement released by the SSNBS, the 3,840 bags of white sorghum were imported for humanitarian purposes and were intercepted at the point of entry at Nimule bordering crossing.
“The South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS), through its Nimule Station, has successfully facilitated the re-exportation of a consignment of white sorghum found to be non-compliant with national standards for human consumption to the country of origin,” noted a statement from SSNBS.
Although the SSNBS did not identify the country of origin of the unfit grains, it stated that samples from the consignment underwent laboratory analysis, which confirmed that the products were not suitable for human consumption.
“The result confirms that the product failed to meet the required safety and quality benchmarks. Major areas of non-compliance included poor physical condition, presence of foreign matter, significant damage, and unacceptable overall appearance,” it added.
The SSNBS further reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public health and maintaining the integrity of the circulation of goods through robust inspection.
It added that the institution will “uphold its mandate to conduct thorough conformity assessments and destination inspections at the point of entry,” ensuring that substandard products would not get into local markets.
Despite the SSNBS’s ongoing efforts to ban and enforce import quality standards, the entry point in Nimule has frequently recorded cases of substandard goods originating from other East African countries.
Last year, the South Sudan National Bureau of Standards destroyed over 60 tons of outdated and substandard goods. Additionally, recently the institution further dumped four tons of yellow peas and maize grains planning to enter South Sudan through Nimule border point.
Speaking to the press, Ashgan Paulina Edward, acting director general for technical operations, overseeing testing, certification, standard development, and quality assurance at SSNBS, told journalists that the rejected grains were a donation from a foreign country intended for a church in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria.
“We had a dumping of yellow peas and maize grains at Nimule border post. It has taken a long and when it reached Nimule, the inspection revealed that the product is not fit for human consumption,” Edward said as quoted by the media.
