Some residents of Chipata in Eastern province have vowed to continue buying ZAMBEEF meat products because they feel whatever chemicals the company is accused of using to keep their imported products fresh has no effect on them.
A snap survey in the district found that most residents would not stop consuming meat products from ZAMBEEF as they felt that there was nothing wrong with the products.
Mwanida Phiri of Kapata Township in Chipata said her family had been eating Zambeef meat products for a longtime that even now that it was discovered of having the chemicals which were used to embalm bodies, they would continue consuming the products.
“If the chemical is harmful, we could have seen by now so there is no difference between before and now,” she said.
And John Mtonga of the same township said he would continue buying meat from ZAMBEEF for his family because he saw nothing wrong with the products.
Mr Mtonga argued that chemicals were used in almost everything that was edible including maize which needed fertiliser at various stages of its growth.
Meanwhile,the Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) International, a leading policy research and advocacy non-governmental organisation (NGO) has called on Government to take action against Zambeef regardless of the company’s contribution and standing in the economy.
CUTS centre coordinator Simon Ng’ona said the revelations by an independent verifier on selected Zambeef products containing aromatic aldehydes was distasteful and a mockery to consumer’s rights.
Government had in the recent weeks tested meat samples taken from different batches and outlets of Zambeef which confirmed the presence of foreign matter.
Aromatic aldehydes are normally used as a preservative including embalming of dead bodies.
Further independent laboratory analysis undertaken in South Africa on Zambeef products confirmed the presence of aldehydes.
Mr Ng’ona in a statement yesterday said in view of this development, Government needed to take punitive action against Zambeef regardless of its contribution and standing in the country’s economy.
“All existing legal statutes which have been breached by this action ought to be considered and the fine should serve as a deterrent to those adopting similar practices and would be offenders,” Mr Ng’ona said.
He said right to be provided with safe products and services remained an inalienable element of human rights and that by selling any products containing contaminated stuff was likely to harm citizen consumers.
Further, Mr Ng’ona said, taking advantage of the ignorance of consumers on their rights and responsibilities and subjecting them to harmful products or services that had a health risk remained an unpardonable act.
He called for strengthening of regulations on labeling and divulging of full information on products and services in Zambia adding that some of authorities tasked with the responsibility to protect consumers’ interest needed to wake up from slumber and provide the needed regulatory oversight.
“Consumer protection needs a collective action. We can’t have a
situation where only a few doted regulators show devotion towards this
quest,” he said.
Freedom of choice. Lyani Nyama!
Daft Nubian Princess. You should
eat infected meat yoself biatch!
From Zambeef to Zambam
Freedom of Choice. Lyani Nyama! Chipata people very dull mwe.
You are the dull one Nubian fimo fimo. Chipata people know that this Zambeef saga is cheap PF propaganda! Why haven’t we had cases of food poisoning since Zambeef has been in business? Think before you insult the great people from the east.
Ewe Simon Ngona, why Zambeef alone, those chemicals you have mentioned are also found in a lot food staff we eat and probably even your favourite ice cream. That is why we are asking for results to be published to see the dosage if it was over normal.
That is also why your Government is reluctant to take Zambeef to court.
.
This beef thing is seriously f**ked up!
People are going insane already
The minister was not very clear as one lady MP has asked, he was just mentioning of contamination. Contamination with what? aromatic aldehydes or that actual strong smelling chemical used in embalming bodies? The Minister is still dump on this, why?
Kumawa yayayaya
wow not surprised abena Chipata balishupa balitemwa ifyamulopa abalya ne mbeba. Anyway on a serious note its freedom of choice with consequences, but when you get serious illness such as cancer from eating this same embalmed meat from Zambeef don’t blame the Government since Government has informed us about its findings regarding some Zambeef products. By the way if it was in Western countries Zambeef would have been closed by now, suspend its business license or at least pay a big fine. Only in Zambia where consumer protection is not respected.
The government can’t take ZAMBEEF to court because they will lose the case and be humiliated. The fact is there is nothing wrong with aromatic aldehyde in food; it is in the ice cream, pizza, and chocolate you eat. Zambians keep on confusing aromatic aldehyde and formaldehyde because they are too intellectually lazy to figure out the difference between the two. Do you people honestly believe Ireland can risk exporting contaminated meat to Zambia? Ireland is part of the European Union which has some of the most stringent health regulations in the world. What makes our government think they can carelessly export contaminated meat to Zambia and risk tarnishing their image. Let the people of Chipata enjoy their t-bone steak in peace! i am still buying my meat from ZAMBEEF and enjoying it!
Zambeef is not from Ireland please. It’s just some of the directors that are Irish.
baggar, are u part of the EU? if the eu can export weapons of mass destruction to volitile Regions then who are you docile Zambian not to be infected with cancer and strange diseases. think again. all of a sudden ZAmbia is one of the highest in terms of cervicle cancer. dont you think they can be agents. condoms, ARVs are money spinners apart from digging the copper by yourself to enrich someone in Switzaland while you child is so malnourished yet you boast to be educated.
Good spitit
look at the BIG picture. 1) its only trife,liver and trotters which were said to have aromatic aldehydes. other zambeef products are not imported/embalmed. i still don’t understand why South African products such as Knorr, Imama, Royco and the BIG one robertsons are permitted in this country. these products contain MonoSodium Glutamate (MSG or E621) which causes cancer. So why are you only attacking our own Zambeef when its not even every product of theirs with chemicals?
you are very right !
The fact is almost any product or chemical can if taken in excess can cause cancer, tea, coffee, coacoa etc. What is important how much of the chemical or additive is safe?
Mind blowing Ignorance pa Zed. You proceed to consume this Toxic meat, then 3 years down the road, You develop bizarre Cancer, & all sorts, then start your superstitious cr*p ati “ba na ni lowa ba mfiti” You go on to Lynch elderly people, burn their Homes, Worst case scenario, You blame ruling party for practicing Satanism on you. When will You folk ever be enlightened??
STAY AWAY FROM THAT POISON, until you are 100% sure its fit for Human consumption.
Zambeef is the biggest buyer of local beef from local rural farmers and has provided these farmers with access to market that no other producer has ever done. The beef you eat in Chipata etc are all local beef not imported. This company is an international Zambian success story so the most you can blame them for is not checking their imports carefully to ensure the food was not contaminated. But to diss the whole company outrightly is utterly ignorant and unfortunate. For now there is no imported Zambeef meat on the shelf, so why stop buying your own meat unless if all Zambian meat is contaminated then the message should be STOP BUYING MEAT. Of course the government can educate us better but at the moment they do not seem capable of relaying the message right.
It is unbelievable how the truth is being turned into something else. The chemical used for embalming bodies is formalin (CH2O) and it has nothing to do with aromatic aldehyde. Please learn to research, do not just use the net to blog without being informed. This is a science and not politics.
EVEN MYSELF WILL NOT STOP BUYING MEAT FROM ZAMBEEF BECAUSE I BELIEVE MOST OF THE FOODS WE CONSUME IS CONTAMINATED WITH CHEMICALS.WE CAN TALK OF JIGGIES, YOGURT, TINED FISH & BEEF, ICE CREAMS, BROILER CHICKENS, CONDENSED MILK, BEVERAGES. EVEN THE BANANAS WE BUY ARE ALL EMBALMED WITH CHEMICALS SO THAT THEY GET RIPE QUICKLY.
In addition your list, the Cinnamon Zambians take when sick contains good quantities of this chemical. Over 90% of pharmaceutical products contain this chemical. Zambian Politics aawweee mwweee.
you are right , this is the world that we live in ,no better choice , but maybe grow by yourself as you can !
Chipata people CHe kaya resist to change. that is y the only place where the last M. P. for UNIP was found because they do not want to change. Imwe ka Mwanida Phiri and ka John Mtonga of Kapata compound mwiipasha abana ku finangwa ifyo tabalakula. You two fools some chemicals do not react instantly but it will take years and yet you may not notice that the problem was because of what you consumed. my cousin che i do not what to do with them.
NO HARM DONE !
State the facts and stop the story telling…inform and educate the consumer and the normal citizen that they won’t get sick!
You need to eat a truck load a day for many many years to show sign of sickness. The same for all veg, all fruit, and other crops.
Get informed!
Eat your meat – Greetings, Patrick Siame.
Wake up pple.! I can see some primitive bloggers here. How do you comment negatively about Chipata as being backwards and not wanting change when your backward LT just base their view on two pple that they sampled. The sample size is to small for someone to make a conclusion. What sort of journalism or research is that ba LT and some blind LT bloggers here?
Sorry to disappoint.
That’s some sense Bon. What are you doing? Research Methods only???
Reading some of the contributions one may think contributors are against the least able to understand the impact the chemical used to preserve ofals to ones health is their fault. Many who are advocating for use of chemeicals that may be harmful to the least able to know or find the best possible health care are like sentencing these brothers and sisters to death. One may think its their fault to buy ofals contaminated by chemicals. My brothers and sisters lets us humbly reflect on our contributions and how does it feel if our own sisters and brothers were to suffer from diseases that they may not have willing contracted by their fault. In my humble option we are one as such we need to fight the injustice where ever it comes from. Zambeef must show its on the customers ‘side and has…
Talk of Cookking Oil, Just recently when have started making Cooking with corestral free which has been causing heart attack, It started with Rope in 1970s through unileaver, But Zambeef maybe started last year—-so let us continue eating infact meat is very cheap
Here in UK are laughing as we were fed on horse meat as beef with dosage of pain killer harmful to humans. Most of tinned stuff etc are full of chemicals harmful to humans. Nga walafikonkelesha kuti walalyafye delele pe
They are always ahead of the pack! good job chipata residents, you will never be blindfolded by Mmembe.
Mbula maso
Limit your ignorance to yourself. I never said ZAMBEEF is from Ireland. It is the imeat I was referring to as imported from Ireland.
Nichamene’ mufela!! I still remember many years ago, Zedian’s were told about a New Disease know as A.I.D.S. So many were in denial, even calling Aids – American Initiative to Discourage Sex. Pa pita ma years mwayamba Kuyoyoka, ati “Guys, tulebomfya ama Condom” – way too late. The result was Ifa Muntu! Forgotten that one??
Many prominent scientists who have the chemical knowledge of FORMALDEHYDE (Formalin) strongly believe that The Post and Ministry of Health were all out to tarnish Zambeef in order to pave way for the uncompetitive sale of their newly established beef market in Zambia. Use of Formalin to preserve meet is a BLATANT LIE. THEREFORE, ZAMBIANS MUST CONTINUE TO ENJOY MEET SOURCED FROM OUR OWN ZAMBIAN ZAMBEEF COMPANY.