The Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) has cautioned Shoprite not to sell products which are not properly labelled as well as traceability information.
ZABS Public Relations Officer Hazel Zulu says selling unlabeled products does not give proper information to consumers hence reduces their capacity to make informed decisions when buying certain products.
Below is a statement issued to the media.
The Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) is advising Shoprite supermarket to sell products that are properly labelled and bearing all traceability information.
This is so because such information is critical for consumers to make an informed decision before buying the products.
This follows a series of spot and routine market surveillances and inspections that have been conducted by ZABS inspectors in the last 6 weeks, in various parts of the country to check levels of compliance on products falling under mandatory standards.
The checks have resulted in ZABS seizure of a range of products from some ShopRite outlets and other shops for failure to comply with relevant standards.
On 23rd March 2016, ZABS inspected the two ShopRite outlets in Livingstone and confiscated 326 X 500 grams of bar soap known as Brite Lite soap valued at K2, 767.74, because it did not have batch numbers, nor the date of manufacture as is required by the Zambian Standard, ZS 058. This standard requires that all products should be labelled correctly indicating all traceability information.
On 3rd March 2016, ZABS conducted an inspection of Mongu ShopRite and confiscated products that did not have vital traceability information such as batch numbers, expiration dates and dates of manufacture. The products were valued at K2, 978.00.
On the 5th and 7th of April 2016, ZABS inspected Chingola and Kafubu Mall Shoprite and seized expired products valued at approximately K900.00. Other products had no traceability information such as batch numbers.
‘We therefore want to alert ShopRite to ensure that they display products that have all the traceability information because it is a legal requirement. More so we want to remind them to put in place an effective stock rotation schedule to guarantee that the stocks in their warehouses are sold on First in First out basis to avoid keeping goods that have expired, due to poor warehousing practices’.
ZABS through its inspectorate department will continue to conduct inspections regularly to safeguard the health and safety of consumers.
Zambian consumers are not savvy. Most don’t even read labels. Shops in Zambia get away with murder because of the un-informed consumers. A shame I must say.
That’s amazing! Brite Lite soap valued at K2, 767.74!! It’s origins is not traceable because foreign goods try to hoodwink Zambians. So like what …..? Do you alight from your bath like a real life Venus De Milo!
It’s a serious case I’m developed countries. Woolworth was fined $2 million for selling expired and non complying to consumer’s product standard.
I am happy that this happening back home because companies should dump products in Zambia when they can’t sell these products in Zambia.
ZABS should visit the market and confiscate the unlabeled goods.
Why only Shoprite??
Confiscating stuff is not enough. Offenders must be prosecuted. ZABS need not advise, they need to command! And I hope these checkups become a routine!