Africa Improved Foods’ Nootri brand has been awarded the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) S-Mark for quality, the firm has said in a statement.

Prosper Ndayiragije, Africa Improved Foods Rwanda country manager, said the certification was a "timely and welcome” development for the $60 million plant which is keen to expand its footprint to the region, especially into the Ugandan and the DR Congo markets.

"The RS339:2017 certification is an official stamp of approval and gives consumers full confidence that Nootri products meet requisite standards and quality and are ideal for consumption,” Ndayiragije said in the statement on Monday.

He added that the firm does not compromise on quality.

Nootri’s range of products includes NootriMama for pregnant and breast-feeding mothers, while NootriToto is for young children aged between six months and two years. 

According to the RSB acting division manager for national standards, Athanasie Mukeshiyaremye, the S-Mark is proof that Nootri products conform to the set standards requirements.

Lillian Umuhumuza, the Africa Improved Foods Rwanda quality manager, said: "We are committed to complying with RSB quality standards. We have demonstrated our ability to consistently provide products that, not only meet needs of customers, but also meet applicable statutory and regulatory requirements,” she said.

Today, conformity assessment is increasingly becoming part and parcel of world trade, she added, noting that many products require testing and subsequent compliance to respective standards or regulations before getting access to certain markets.