By JAMES KUNDA –
THE Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) has incinerated expired fruit juices worth K810 from different trading outlets in Kasama.
This was in a joint operation with the Kasama Municipal Council, Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), the Kasama Magistrate Court and police.
The 45 cases by 6 of 500 millilitres granadilla flavoured beverages were branded Shambala and carried a batch number 1551401 were destroyed in the incineration that followed a market surveillance to check for compliance levels on regulated products.
The surveillance was conducted from different shops and inspections were carried out to check among others the expiry dates of the products.
“The manufacturer of Shambala juice is Matonjeni and the product is distributed by Million general dealers limited.
The shelf life of the expired products indicated that the juice expired on September 5, 2014,” ZABS head of marketing and public relations Hazel Zulu said.
During the same operation, 600 cases of 2 litre containers worth K556,567 were confiscated as the products were suspected to be bulging.
“Samples have been sent to the ZABS head office in Lusaka for testing and analysis,” Ms Zulu said.
Ms Zulu said the sale of expired products was a violation of the laws of Zambia and a danger to the health of unsuspecting consumers.
She warned suppliers and distributors against selling expired and sub-standard products as ZABS in collaboration with stakeholders would continue with market surveillance to ensure that the products given to consumers were complying with the set standards.