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KEBS revokes permits over misuse of fruit-juice certification on khat drinks

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KEBS says some manufacturers have used fruit-juice permits to market jaba juice, even though khat-derived products are excluded from its certification scheme.   KENYA – The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) says it has revoked certification permits in identified cases of misuse after finding manufacturers using fruit-juice and fruit-drink approvals

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Ethiopia expands accredited honey testing to 23 pesticide residues and three heavy metals

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The expanded accreditation gives honey producers and exporters more testing options locally, potentially reducing the cost and delays of sending samples overseas.   ETHIOPIA – Ethiopia has expanded its accredited honey-testing services to cover 23 pesticide residues and three heavy metals, bringing more of the checks needed by producers, exporters

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AOAC certifies sample-preparation cartridge for pesticide testing

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SmartSPE-C is the first product certified under AOAC’s consumables programme, with approval covering the clean-up of specified food extracts before pesticide analysis.   USA – AOAC’s Research Institute has awarded its first Performance Tested Consumables certification to SmartSPE-C, a cartridge used to prepare food extracts for pesticide and environmental-contaminant analysis.

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Laboratory personnel in white coats reviewing analytical software at LaNSA in Togo.

Togo’s national food laboratory adds testing for more than 150 pesticide residues

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LaNSA has announced an LC-MS/MS service for maize, rice and soy, alongside additional testing for alcoholic drinks. TOGO – Togo’s National Food Safety and Phytosanitary Laboratory (LaNSA) says it can now detect and quantify more than 150 pesticide residues in maize, rice and soy, expanding its analytical services for food

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Africa CDC sets five-year plan to strengthen foodborne disease surveillance

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The framework seeks to connect illness reporting, laboratory testing and food-safety alerts across national and regional systems. AFRICA – Africa CDC has set out a five-year plan to strengthen the detection of and response to foodborne disease, addressing gaps in laboratory capacity, data sharing and coordination between food-safety and public-health

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Closed refrigerated aisle at a French supermarket affected by the October 2026 cyberattack

Cyberattack hits refrigeration at about 700 French supermarkets

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Attackers remotely altered temperature and defrost settings, forcing retailers to destroy fresh and frozen food and exposing a poorly recognised food-safety risk in connected cold-chain equipment. FRANCE – A cyberattack targeting connected refrigeration systems affected approximately 700 supermarkets across France, pushing temperatures in some cold rooms and freezers as high

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Exterior of a Konecta workplace in Antananarivo, Madagascar, where employees were treated after a suspected foodborne illness outbreak

Madagascar finds E. coli, moulds and yeasts after 292 Konecta workers fall ill

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Two of four food samples collected during the workplace catering investigation failed safety requirements, but authorities have not identified the food or organism responsible for the illnesses.   MADAGASCAR – Laboratory tests in Madagascar have found excessive levels of Escherichia coli, moulds and yeasts in food samples collected after a

Madagascar finds E. coli, moulds and yeasts after 292 Konecta workers fall ill Read More »

AflaSafe production capacity

AflaLivre reports nearly 200 tonnes of Aflasafe from Mozambique plant

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The Nampula facility is supplying Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia, but distribution, affordability, testing and grain certification will determine whether local production translates into safer food.   MOZAMBIQUE – A Mozambican factory produced close to 200 tonnes of the aflatoxin-control product Aflasafe during its first year of local production, according to

AflaLivre reports nearly 200 tonnes of Aflasafe from Mozambique plant Read More »

Guinean officials inspect opened rapid food-testing kits during their presentation at the BNIQ in Conakry.

Guinea receives seven rapid food-testing kits for border controls

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Four high-volume land crossings and Conakry’s conventional port are first in line for on-site food screening, but authorities have not disclosed what hazards the equipment can detect or how initial findings will be confirmed. GUINEA – Guinea has received seven rapid food-testing kits intended to strengthen controls on food entering

Guinea receives seven rapid food-testing kits for border controls Read More »

Portable Aflabox device used to screen individual grain kernels under white and ultraviolet light

Aflabox raises US$1.51M to advance UV grain-screening rollout in Kenya, Nigeria

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The portable system uses white and ultraviolet imaging to assess individual grain kernels. New funding will support certification, manufacturing and commercial expansion, although independent performance data have not yet been published. KENYA — Agritech startup Aflabox has secured €1.35 million (US$1.51M) in seed funding to advance the certification, production and

Aflabox raises US$1.51M to advance UV grain-screening rollout in Kenya, Nigeria Read More »