Health Minister Joseph Kasonde has said that results of tests conducted on imported samples of Zambeef beef products have revealed evidence of contamination.
Dr Kasonde has told Parliament in a ministerial statement today that evidence of chemical and microbial contamination has been found in the beef products tested.
He explained that the chemical contamination is that of aromatic aldehydes, but that further tests are required to establish the exact aldehydes in the meat products.
He said that this is the very reason for further analysis on the meat products is to establish actual aldehydes contained.
Dr Kasonde said that the presence of aldehydes alone is not enough to take action at this stage until it is established which specific chemical is present in the meat.
He added that there is also need to establish the point of contamination.
And Dr Kasonde said that his ministry will take legal action in the districts were the seized beef products have disappeared and that whoever is involved will be dealt with.
How long do you need to take to ascertain what aldehyde was used and the point on contamination? What have you been doing the past 6-7 days? Why don’t you publish the lab results simple as that…in the UK during the infamous horse-meat scandal the gov’t scientists released the lab results to the media straight away. Publish the lab results.
Some time back, i referred to the inadequacies of the said lab. Govt need to step up funding to this institution. It has no capacity to produce evidence which can stand before a fair court of law. Angain Bwana Minister sir, the issue of microbe contamination is not winnable without identifying which ones are being referred and what was the inoculation population? What is being referred to here are “matumbo” home or center of microbes second to some part I cannot mention. Please let us do things professionally.
And HH should say ‘Govt is harrassing Zambeef’ when these people are embalming us alive!
The tests conducted so far appear not to be conclusive and its not necessary for government to be making so much noise through their mouth-piece – the Post. HH is justified to say that Government harassing Zambeef.
And HH should say “Govt is harassing Zambeef when these chaps are embalming us alive!
jay jay atleast scientist are a bit faster than lawyers..There ar some test that requires patience and sober minded..to cut the story short six to ten day is enough..
Lawyers are also waiting on the selfsame lab results!!
Yes indeed ba PF Govt., don’t waste too much valuable time in your so-called investigations because these ‘Guys’ are just too smart for you. By the time you will come up with your results, they would have gone in reverse gear already and all your efforts will be in vain even risking being sued for loss of their business instead.
I am particularly in a hurry myself to establish why in Zambia today, even young pipo are ending up with High Blood Pressure, nasty looking and multiple boils, skin irritations/rashes, anaemia etc including “strokes” !
Women are ending up with persistent and long menstrual periods, Cancers, strange smelly odours etc., etc., as a result of these unpatented compounds injected and laced on the beef carcasses which we have been fed on, o GOD knows for…
Yes indeed, the situation is really bad. These ‘old’ conditions have become so prevalent….quite baffling, I must say.
What will happen if the chemicals are not harmful and no side effects?
Some time back, i referred to the inadequacies of the said lab. Govt need to step up funding to this institution. It has no capacity to produce evidence which can stand before a fair court of law. Angain Bwana Minister sir, the issue of microbe contamination is not winnable without identifying which ones are being referred and what was the inoculation population? What is being referred to here are “matumbo” home or center of microbes second to some part I cannot mention. Please let us do things professionally.
It seems you know the inadquecies of our labs,no wonder you resorted to embaming beef.You thought you will never be caught.Even simple labs can test aldehyde group,but not specifying the type.I dont remember buying beef from you,zambeef,where you indicated that add aldehyde of some kind is added.Even if its sugar that you add,you are suppose to indicate.
All these are happening because we admire imported things! We have animals locally but we still want to import!
How long to do those simple tests?? A day is more than enough. the longer this take the more specious it will become
Why should you wait for further tests when you have already given a statement that the beef products are contaminated. Contaminated is contaminated. Do thoroughly and conclusive tests and then make a statement. I smell a rat here. This is a way for giving a platform for corruption. You already know the results but you are issuing them in bits so as to alarm the culprits to corrupt and henceforth not give the full statement.
I smell a rat here. Why issue a statement when results are not in full. Those guys will sue GRZ for loss of business. Corruption is very inevitable at this stage to safe guard the business.
YOU HAVE JUST BEEN EMBALMED!!
All meats have some kind of contaminants!! Simply east vinkubala, tente, katapa, bondwe, imilonge, bream and kasepa.
East Local foods, it is healthier. The problem is you Zambians only trust imported things including people. Love yourselves and your products, you will be healthier people.
Mr minister, I am sure the disappeared meat was shared among the officers on duty.I heard that nyama scent was hovering over the all compound sending michop sellers scamping towards there.
Good afternoon
In my view, this problem should serve as a call-to-act for us Zambians to take responsibility for our own food security.
The government would do well to issue a ban on all meat imports in order to protect local consumers. One wonders how they can even allow meat from overseas when there is enough livestock within the country not just to meet local demand but also to boost domestic production and put Zambia on an equal economic footing with the rest of the international food suppliers.
bakolwe, they think meat is suppose to be sterile. there will always be bacteria on meat, tell us what bacteria you found if you want to sound credible!
Case closed
Namando ,yo will be fed on human meat one day. l don’t know if there is another country that eat anything like Zambia especially fyakufyalo.
Namumfwakooo!!! Zambeef has won a tender to embalm the bodies of the Mailoni Brothers. Please, mr Grogan dont embalm us alive anymore.
This is an obvious smear campaign. There are no truth to these rumours. The culprits just want to spread fear. The government won’t stop until they have humbled Zambeef. And their mouthpiece the Post will heel them. What terrible corruption!
“Dr Kasonde has told Parliament in a ministerial statement today that evidence of chemical and microbial contamination has been found in the beef products tested.”
I would like to believe that the minister must have been stressfully agonizing when making this calculated statement. He knows organic chemistry and microbiology but he is no meat or food processing scientist. Maybe Professor Nkandu Luo could enlighten the debate on microbes.
Try testing kapenta, dry fish and all the items sold on the markets and you will be shocked by the levels of biological contamination. All mantumbo regardless of where you buy them is heavily populated with biological agents. The problem here is alarming people by using press headline by saying that the aldehydes are used for embalming dead bodies when in actual sense you don’t even know what type of aldehydes they are? Many people will be embarassed by the end of this episode.