ZCC threatens to sue Spar over ‘unfit’ foods
Written by Fridah Zinyama
Thursday, October 01, 2009 1:03:48 AM
ZAMBIA Competition Commission (ZCC) has threatened to take legal action against Spar Zambia if it continues to sell consumable products which have no expiry dates or are unfit for human consumption. The threat comes following a complaint from a consumer who purchased a packet of strawberries from Spar Arcades which were decaying at the bottom of the pack.
At a press briefing in Lusaka on Tuesday, ZCC public relations officer Vaida Bunda said the sale of any food products which were not fit for consumption was against the law.
Section 12 (e) Cap 417 of the Laws of Zambia states that “a person shall not supply any product which is likely to cause injury to health or physical harm to consumers, when properly used, or which does not comply with a consumer safety standard which has been prescribed under any law.”
Bunda said ZCC was mandated under Section 12 of the competition and fair trading Act, Cap 417 of the Laws of Zambia to protect consumers against unfair trading.
“We receive a number of complaints from time to time regarding various goods and services provided within Zambia which consumers are concerned with,” she said.
Bunda explained that after receiving the said complaint from the consumer, ZCC, in collaboration with the public health department of the Lusaka City Council, conducted an on the spot inspection as the public health Act, Cap 295 of the Laws of Zambia empowered the public health department to carry out such checks.
“We inspected Spar Arcades and Spar Downtown and found several food products that either had no expiry dates, were expired, improperly packaged, improperly labelled/branded or had foreign matter contrary to consumer product safety requirements,” she said. “We noted that in some instances, Spar Arcades had two expiry dates indicated on some products and we advised that this was wrong as it had the propensity to mislead consumers contrary to Section 12(d) of the Cap 417 of the Laws of Zambia which provides that ‘a person shall not engage in conduct that is likely to mislead the public as to the nature, price, availability, characteristics, suitability for a given purpose, quantity or quality of any products or services’.”
Bunda added that the inspection team further noted that the storage facilities for bread were not in a good state as debris was found on the bread stored in the shop.
“The products found wanting were seized and management at both branches was warned that the Commission would prosecute them should this practice continue,” she said.
Bunda warned businesses engaged in the habit of selling expired products or products that were likely to cause injury or harm to consumers to stop the practice immediately.
“ZCC has taken this inspection as a warning and if they fail to adhere to the warning, we will take legal action,” she said.
Bunda encouraged Zambian consumers to always be wary of expiry dates and ensure that they only purchased products that were fit for human consumption.
Labels: CONSUMERS, FOOD, SPAR ARCADES, ZCC
Read more...
COMMENT - So much for the 'free market'.
Shoprite, Spar reduce mealie meal prices
By YANDE KAPEYA
SHOPRITE and Spar shopping outlets in Lusaka have reduced prices of Roller and Breakfast mealie-meal to the recommended retail price. The
Millers Association of Zambia had
directed its agents and depots to sell the commodity at the recommended K52,000 for a 25 kilogramme bag of breakfast and K44,000 for Roller Meal.
Retailers have also been advised to add not more than K5,000 per bag within a radius of five kilometres from the mill.
A check at Spar Arcades found a 25 kilogramme bag of Roller Meal selling at K40,000 while Breakfast Meal was selling at between K51,000 and K55,000.
At Shoprite Manda Hill, a 25 kilogramme bag of Roller Meal was fetching between K39,000 and 46,000 while Breakfast was pegged at K50,000.
Meanwhile, the Forum for Leadership Search in Zambia has advised opposition political parties to desist from politicising the escalating mealie-meal prices.
Forum executive director Edwin Lifwekelo said the high prices of the commodity had partially been caused by the global and financial crisis which had not spared Zambia, adding that those attacking Government and President Banda over the matter were not being sincere.
Mr Lifwekelo said in a statement released in Lusaka yesterday that the responsibility to cushion the escalating prices of mealie-meal could not be left to Government alone, but that all stakeholders needed to be involved.
“Stop demonising President Rupiah Banda over the escalating mealie-meal prices. This has nothing to do with him and the promises he made during the campaigns.”
Mr Lifwekelo urged Government to deal with millers that are hoarding maize.
On Tuesday, Government accused some milling companies of hoarding maize for profiteering and speculative motives.
Government directed milling companies to ensure that traders dealing in their products sold mealie-meal at prices between K40,000 and K43,000 for Roller Meal and K50,000 for Breakfast.
Labels: MEALIE-MEAL, SHOPRITE, SPAR ARCADES
Read more...
PF takes Spar supermarket to task
By Patson Chilemba
Sunday May 20, 2007 [04:00]
THE Patriotic Front (PF) yesterday took Spar Arcades Supermarket management to task over the alleged recycling of expired foodstuffs for sale to the public. Leading those who stormed the supermarket's kitchen, PF Lusaka Province chairperson Rhoda Nsama said selling recycled foodstuffs in Zambia was illegal.
A check at the supermarket revealed that expired foodstuffs in the kitchen particularly eggs, whose colour had changed from their usual white to purple while chickens had turned green. But the chefs who were caught unaware unconvincingly told Nsama that the chickens, eggs and the macaroni, which were dry were prepared yesterday morning.
"Look, if these eggs were prepared today in the morning how could they look like this? "You should be serving foods that are fresh. You are recycling food, how can you be recycling food like that?"
Nsama took Spars Arcades manager Doug Fraser to task to explain why his supermarket was recycling expired foodstuffs for sale to the consumers but he said he could only comment when the complaints were put in writing.
Fraser, who looked overwhelmed by the constant barrage of questions, asked Nsama and PF administrative officer Kaizer Zulu where they had come from and which organisation they were representing.
Nsama and her team responded that they were representing Zambians who had been reduced to an extent of being sold expired foodstuffs.
Nsama expressed sadness that Zambia had been turned into a dumping site.
Examination of expiry dates on selected items revealed that some of them have been defaced using ink. Nsama said that she undertook the task based on several complaints that her party had received from some Spars employees.
And some workers, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed that Spar management ordered them not to dispose off any foodstuffs but recycle it. They explained that some expired foodstuffs like spices were taken to the kitchen where they were used.
The workers said that what had been exposed was just a tip of an iceberg of the injustices that were happening at Arcades.
Labels: CORRUPTION, PF, SPAR ARCADES
Read more...
