The Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) has warned the public to be on the lookout for cherries it says are harmful to humans.

Phillip Nzaire, director for quality assurance at RSB, said the cherries are packed in glass jars and are from Hungary.

"Though they have not entered the country as per our inspections, we are working hard to ensure that such harmful products do not find their way here,” he said.

The warning follows a global alert through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, an organ of the European External Action Service, alerting the public about harmful products.

Nzaire said Rwanda’s Embassy in Belgium alerted them on September 12, about cherries from Hungary, which it said had glass fragments, and were in transit through Germany and destined for some African countries, including Rwanda.

"However, not all cherries are harmful. The only harmful cherries are those that are packed in glass jars from Hungary,” the RSB quality assurance director, added.

"We appeal to the public to be on the lookout and report any businesses in the country selling harmful products,” he said.

He said the standards body is carrying out border inspections of all products entering the country and conducting market surveillance to ensure the fruits do not enter the local market.

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