NBS says Gumbo flour repackaging was unauthorized

The South Sudan National Bureau of Standards says the repackaging of flour allegedly involving expired products under another company’s brand was carried out without the required government approval.

This follows the arrest of eight employees of H Brothers General Trading and Investment Company Limited by Juba County authorities over allegations of repackaging expired maize flour for resale.

However, the company’s manager has denied the allegations, insisting that the products in question were unexpired wheat flour.

Following the arrests, Central Equatoria State Caretaker Governor Augustino Jadalla, the Juba County commissioner, and an official from the standards bureau visited the company on Sunday.

Neima Samson Goma, the Bureau’s Director of Certification and Export, said companies intending to repackage products must involve the standards authority to ensure the process meets the required procedures.

She said the Bureau collects samples for laboratory testing and requires its supervisors to witness the repackaging process once approval has been granted.

Goma also called for an end to the importation of empty packaging bags that already carry company branding, saying product labelling should instead be done within South Sudan.

She alleged that the company had used Azam’s branding without authorization from the manufacturer or relevant government institutions.

“They are using Azam’s label without the approval of Azam, the Government of South Sudan, or the relevant institutions. One of the measures we need to take is to stop the importation of pre-labelled empty bags. If possible, labelling should be done here in the country, as we have many companies capable of doing this.”

Goma said companies seeking approval to repackage products must first submit samples for laboratory testing and inform the Bureau of the quantities they intend to repackage.

She added that the Bureau must supervise the repackaging process to ensure compliance with the required standards.

The allegations against H Brothers General Trading and Investment Company Limited have not been independently verified, and the company manager maintains that the flour was not expired.