While the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) mid last month announced that OKI brand cooking oil was unsafe for human consumption, the Zanzibar Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics Board says the oil is quite fit for consumption.
People in Zanzibar were worried about the oil, which is easily available in the Zanzibar market, but the Minister for Trade, Industries and Marketing Mr Nassor Ahmed Marui informed the House that OKI was fine and people should not get worried about it.
OKI is one of the popular cooking oil brands consumed by the people, and as the Eid holidays approach the news that it was unfit had scared many here.
“When we received the news that the oil was not fit, we conducted our own research finding,” said the minister, adding that “probably there are some businesspeople who are interested in seeing OKI and other imported oil brands restricted.
Some newspapers quoted TBS spokesperson, Ms Roida Andusamile, as cautioning consumers and appealing for mass awareness about the product. She said there were other locally manufactured cooking oil brands with similar names. She said these have the TBS emblem, which means they are fit for human consumption.
By ISSA YUSSUF, Tanzania Daily News
