WFP to investigate Turkish supplier over super cereal

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The World Food Program (WFP) has said it will investigate the Turkish Company Demirpolat Group which supplied Super Cereal in Amudat and Napak districts.

Three parallel investigations by WFP, Police and Ministry of health are underway into the possible contamination of super cereal, a fortified blended food that was distributed by the WFP to prevent malnutrition in Karamoja sub-region.

Three people died from Matany Hospital, Napak District on March 16, and two others from within the communities, as a result of complications developed after consuming the food.

Ministry of Health says a total of 262 people had developed mental confusion, high fever and abdominal pain after consuming the same food within a space of one week.

WFP will now contact the Turkish company Demirpolat that supplied the consignments of super cereal that was distributed in Karamoja as part of the investigations into what could have happened.

Ryan Anderson, the Deputy Country Director WFP says that contact to the supplier will be done by the headquarters of WFP in Rome, Italy.

According to the WFP’s Inspector General’s report, some vendors from Turkey that supplied food to WFP submitted inaccurate or forged inspection certificates.

“Several other investigations completed in 2017 included suspected fraudulent activities on the part of WFP vendors,” reads the reports.

According to a February 11, 2019 statement from Rome, Italy, WFP commissioned an independent analysis of protein, fat and micro nutrient levels in super cereals supplied by a Turkish company to understand the extent of quality issues.

It followed investigations, which showed that the super cereal, a fortified blended food is too low in protein and fat to meet normal specifications.

The quality issues on super cereal were first detected in June 2018.

According to the Minister of Health Jane Ruth Aceng, the preliminary test into the samples of blood, urine and vomitus did not reveal bacterial growth, however.

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