Killer cereal destroyed after Uganda deaths

Cereals

Cereals

from HASSAN ONYANGO in Kampala, Uganda
KAMPALA, (CAJ News) THE World Food Programme (WFP) is to destroy global stocks of cereal blamed for the death of five people in Uganda earlier this year.

The cereal produced by one of WFP’s suppliers left around 300 people sick in the northeastern Karamoja region.

Investigations involving international food safety experts indicated that the probable cause of the sickness was contamination of the cereal by organic compounds during harvesting or production.

Distribution of the stocks of Super Cereal were suspended pending investigations

“WFP is deeply saddened by the loss of life and suffering among vulnerable communities who count on food assistance in one of the poorest areas of Uganda,” said Amir Abdulla, Deputy Executive Director of WFP.

In addition to suspending distribution and organizing the destruction of the product, WFP has increased oversight of every link in the production cycle of Super Cereal, including spot checks and sampling of cargo along the supply chain to test for any potential contamination.

“Operating in challenging environments, we must intensify efforts to improve our supply chain management and food quality,” Abdulla said.

Super Cereal is maize or wheat blended with soya beans, fortified with vitamins and minerals, and processed into a flour.

It is a critical part of WFP’s efforts to prevent malnutrition and save lives.

– CAJ News

scroll to top