By Burnett Munthali
The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) has impounded several products and issued a prohibition order to Golden Peacock Supermarket in Lilongwe.
This action comes as part of MBS’s continued efforts to ensure that all food and consumer products sold in Malawi meet the required safety and quality standards.
The move has raised concerns among consumers and business operators regarding compliance with national and international trade regulations.
MBS spokesperson Monica Khombe has confirmed.
Her confirmation has provided credibility to the operation and emphasized the seriousness of the issue at hand.
According to Khombe, the supermarket was found with uncertified imported fish and chicken that are not properly labelled and had broken packages.
This revelation suggests a significant breach of food safety regulations, as improperly labeled and damaged food packaging poses potential health risks to consumers.
The presence of uncertified food products also raises questions about the supermarket’s adherence to importation and quality control requirements.
“The supermarket had various products e.g. juices, snacks, biscuits with Chinese labels and comprised English translation that does not adequately reflect the product description including no name of manufacturer and batch code for traceability,” Khombe said.
This means that some of the imported products lacked crucial information that would allow consumers to make informed decisions about their purchases.
The failure to include manufacturer details and batch codes also makes it difficult for regulatory authorities to trace the origin of the products in case of health or safety concerns.
Such lapses in product labeling and traceability can result in the distribution of substandard or even unsafe goods in the market.
She said the supermarket has since been fined K902,780 adding that a similar fine has also been given to Sana Cash and Carry Gravity Mall in the city.
This fine serves as a penalty for non-compliance and as a warning to other businesses to adhere to the set standards.
The fact that another supermarket, Sana Cash and Carry Gravity Mall, has also been fined indicates that the issue of substandard products is not isolated to Golden Peacock Supermarket alone.
“The MBS has impounded poor-quality fruits and Irish potatoes
