LIVINGSTONE City Council (LCC) health inspectors have seized unlabeled and expired cosmetics as well as food products from Spar and two Shoprite outlets in Zambia’s tourist capital.
According to the Food and Drugs Act cap 303 of the laws of Zambia, it is an offence for anyone to sell unlabelled and expired products.
LCC Public Relations Manager Emmanuel Sikanyika said the Council health inspectors swung into action after they noticed that the chain stores were selling some imperfect products.
Speaking in an interview in Livingstone on Tuesday, Mr Sikanyika warned the business houses that the Council would condone such practices especially that the city is preparing to co-host the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly in August this year.
“As a routine programme, our health inspectors conducted a seizure of cosmetics and food products in Spar and two Shoprite outlets in Livingstone.
“Some products were leaking and had no expiry dates while others had broken seals and insufficient labeling. Further, some products were defectively packaged and expired which contravene with the Food and Drugs Act Cap 303,” Mr Sikanyika said.
He urged consumers to always check for labels and expiry dates on all foodstuffs and cosmetics as some products may harm their bodies in the long term if consumed wrongly.
“You may apply these lotions today on your body but over time you may have effects such as your skins peeling off because of not checking for labels.
“We are not going to treat some of these stores as sacred cows whether one is a big trader or a small trader. We want uniformity as far as enforcing the law is concerned,” he said.
He also urged the business community to ensure that they were not driven by blind pursuits for profits.
In April this year, the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) seized bottled water as well as flavoured drinks and electrical appliances in Livingstone which did not meet the required standards to be traded on the market.
Further, the National Standards body issued seizure notices on the supply of water brands known as Jole D’la Vie (translated as joy of life) as the product is not licensed.
ZABS director Manuel Mutale, who led a team of inspectors in Livingstone on a surveillance mission, said his organisation wanted to support the efforts of the Government to prepare for the August 2013 UNWTO General Assembly in the tourist capital.
The trade practices of these South African companies leave much to be desired. Some people have some harsh words when Guy Scott gives that country a lashing. But things on the ground clearly indicate something cries to be put right by South Africa, be it at political, commercial, and even at the human levels. You simply can’t be dumping expired goods, at your neighbours’ premises!
Before going off on a jingoistic tirade against South Africa at 7:06 am, better is to reflect on whether any store, even “Mama Daka’s Truly Zambian Home Grocery” is any better at keeping expired and unlabeled goods off their shelves.
If the food safety people really wanted to do something about this (and not just collect fines!) they would launch a sustained campaign to inform consumers and store workers about labeling and packaging requirements. Requiring all stores to display an information poster by their front door, maybe with pictures of improperly packed goods, would be a useful start.
Slap them with a huge fine. that is what they do in the West. if they leave, we can turn them into a ZCB or Mwaiseni stores.
Those health inspectors are just starving, then went shoplifting. All these are Sata to be blamed, his workers are out routing supermarkets.
Good, Shoprite and Spur would never sell unlabelled foodstuffs in their own country, so why do that in Zambia? They could be selling expired products and that could putt our people’s health in jeopardy ! Good work, health inspectors and be corrupted because the health of communities could be at risk ! Stupid Supermarkets think that they can make all these super profits at the expense of Zambian people’s health? IMMORAL CULPRITS !
Correction ! I meant do not be corrupted ! Please excuse me !
Send the goods back to South Africa. Since 1991 we have had sub-standard goods dumped on us by sneering South African ‘entrepreneurs’, starting with the shipments of condemned rice full of weevils. “Send it to Zambia man! They’ll buy anything hey”
If all that is happening what is the work of the Zambia bureau of standards kanshi? Just to certify mineral water. I live in east africa the kenyan bureau of standards is effective they mark everything even if its genuine in an authorized dealer.s shop. Imagine going to radian stores or game stores you will find KEBS sticker on all the the goods imported into Kenya. But ZABS in the road they are freedom way its got shops stocking all substandard items. You buy it today and it will die after a week. Please ZABS is just a waste of tax money it rubbish just do away with it.Rubbish
WE MUST APPLAUD OUR COUNCIL FOR A GOOD DILIGENT WORK, WHICH SHOULD GO ON.KEEP IT UP.KINDLY EXTEND THE SAME TO ALL TRADERS. TIME STANDARDS WERE MAINTAINED.
shoprite and spar are culprits every year!!
Its high time the ZABS got their act together because these two shops are always found wanting. I hope Pick n Pay wont sink that low as well. Let us not swing into action just because of the UNWTO. This should be normal routine.
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