Overview:
According to Slyvia Kirabo, the UNBS Spokesperson, the plants were closed for various reasons that include poor hygiene of the machinery and employees.
The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has closed at least 25 grain milling plants in Greater Masaka area for noncompliance with quality standards.
The plants were closed by the enforcement team from the UNBS during an operation in the area on Monday.
The affected maize plants are in Bukomansimbi, Kyotera, Kalungu, and Masaka districts, where the proprietors were found operating without certification from UNBS and flouting food safety guidelines.
According to Slyvia Kirabo, the UNBS Spokesperson, the plants were closed for various reasons that include poor hygiene of the machinery and employees, appalling storage facilities and poor aeration of the premises, improper packaging of the processed flour among other deficiencies, which affect the quality of their final product.
But the operators say the operation is causing huge losses to their businesses as they were trying to recover from the prolonged dry spell that resulted in poor crop harvest.
However, Ronald Ahimbisibwe, the UNBS Principal Certification Officer who led a team that conducted the operation, insists that they cannot compromise on ensuring that all food processors meet the required standards.
“Everyone should get concerned that such people who operate below the standards threaten the lives of Ugandans who consume their products,” he noted.