SINAZONGWE District Council in Southern Province has confiscated expired food and other products from various outlets and markets in a quest to enforce the food and drug act of the laws of Zambia.
This came to light when Sinazongwe District Council Public Health department in collaboration with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) carried out an inspection in Sinazongwe and Sinazeze townships recently on shop outlets and market places to determine whether business houses and individuals were complying with the food and drugs act cap 303 of the laws of Zambia.
Sinazongwe District Council Public Health Inspector Paul Zulu told ZANIS in an interview that the aim of the inspection exercise was also to sensitize the business community on the importance of complying with the food and drugs act cap 303 and the public health act cap 295 of the laws of Zambia.
He disclosed that a number of food stuffs and other products were confiscated during the inspection because they were found to have been expired.
Mr. Zulu said expired food stuffs and products were a health hazard to members of the public as they were not fit for human consumption which was against the food and drugs act as well as the Public Health act.
He said the food stuffs and products confiscated were not fit for human consumption because they were discovered to have not met the minimum standards under the act.
Mr. Zulu also sternly warned the business community dealing in various human consumption products including food stuffs to ensure that they comply with the law by stocking unexpired products on their shelves.
He said those who were acting against the law risked being prosecuted as selling of expired food stuffs and products was a serious offence that attracted prosecution of the culprit.
Among the expired food stuffs confiscated included cases of one litre super Chibuku beer, assorted Juices, spices, Super Maheu, Mazoe, disposable coca cola and Fanta, caned stone Ginger drink while other products were cases of bathing soaps, washing detergents, lotions and several others.
….its either the economy is biting hard in Sinazongwe or there is very stiff competition among shops…because I cannot imagine attaining expiry date for things like soap and washing detergent…those products have a very long shelf life….infact if they are kept in a cool and clean environment they can last for a very very long time…probably 3 or 4 times the ‘purported’ shelf life…its also unbelievable for chibuku to expire….knowing Zambians and their beer!!!!…infact the longer opaque beer stays on the shelf the better it becomes…..