South Sudan intercepts two trucks carrying contaminated grains

JUBA — The South Sudan government on Monday impounded two trucks from Uganda that had crossed into its territory carrying grains, mostly sorghum and maize, that were not fit for consumption.

The consignments include sorghum and maize infested with live insects.

The regulatory body said that the consignment seized at the Nimule border entry point posed a serious risk to public health.

“On 16 June 2025, our team at the Port of Entry in Nimule intercepted and re-exported two trucks carrying sorghum and maize flour after the products failed to meet safety and quality requirements,” the SSNBS said in a statement issued on Monday.

The regulator said they also confiscated expired goods in Western Bahr El Ghazal.

It said a large number of expired and counterfeit food items were found and confiscated during the inspection exercise on Monday to prevent them from reaching consumers.

“Meanwhile, in Western Bahr El Ghazal, our Market Surveillance Team carried out inspections in several markets—Boro Medina, Raja Market, Koro Market, and Yabolo Market.”

The South Sudan National Bureau of Standards reaffirmed its commitment to continuing to step up efforts to protect the health and safety of the citizens.

It said the laboratory tests revealed the presence of live insects, making the goods unsafe for human consumption, adding that two trucks were sent back to their country of origin.

“Our actions are guided by the National Bureau of Standards Act, 2012, which tasks SSNBS with protecting public health, the environment, and animal safety by ensuring only safe and standard-compliant goods enter or leave our country.”

It reiterated the regulatory body’s commitment to safeguarding public health and consumer safety by enforcing national quality standards on all imported goods.

“SSNBS is fully committed to making sure that everything sold in our markets or brought into South Sudan meets the right standards,” it said.

“But we can’t do it alone—we call on the public to join us by reporting any expired, fake, or suspicious goods in your area. Protecting our communities from harmful products is everyone’s responsibility.”

The regulatory body was established to ensure that imports meet the requirements of technical regulations and applicable standards, thereby preventing the importation of substandard goods.

sudanspost.com