The Rwanda Food and Drug Authority (FDA) has allayed fears over the presence of a recalled juice brand, Ceres Apple, in the local market. The juice brand produced by a South African food and beverage manufacturer Pioneer Foods was recalled last week due to contamination of mould toxins. The brand which is common across retail outlets across the country had a section of its batch recalled over what was described as elevated levels of patulin - a fruit-based mould which when consumed could cause nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, and vomiting health practitioners. The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) Competition Commission last week noted that the producer had informed it that the affected juice brands were imported and marketed in several countries. However, FDA has allayed fears of presence of the product in the local market noting that following investigations, no Ceres apple products linked to the recall were found on the local market. “Rwanda FDA has conducted investigations and no Ceres Apple products linked with this recall have been traced on the Rwandan market,” the agency tweeted. The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) Competition Commission had called on the general public from member states to exercise caution and avoid the purchase or consumption of the recalled products. If the above products were already purchased, consumers are advised to return the products where they were purchased for a refund or replacement. Rwanda FDA was established in 2018 with a mandate to protect public health through regulation of human and veterinary medicines, vaccines and other biological products, processed foods, poisons, medicated cosmetics, medical devices, household chemical substances, tobacco and tobacco products.
