It is just past nine o’clock on a chilly morning of January 20 and Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) officials are on a mission.
They are inspecting a number of supermarkets in the major cities of Malawi to gauge adherence to food safety standards.
Unlike the traditional produce market, where standards may be compromised, here and there, supermarkets are considered to be the epitome of hygiene.
Supermarkets are brands and, as such, they have a reputation to protect.
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Within a few hours of the inspection exercise, shocking revelations begin to emerge.
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Among other things, the inspection exposes poor hygiene standards, inadequate storage facilities and the proliferation of cockroaches in backrooms.
As if that is not enough, the investigations further reveal that, in some shops, some products in backrooms had gone bad while others had no visible expiry dates.
During the inspections, about eight supermarkets are closed.
And when the exercise is repeated on the second day, more rot is uncovered such as stocking expired goods, and maize flour infested with weevils.
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As a result, more supermarkets are closed by the inspectors.
At the end of the exercise, almost all the brand names were found wanting.
Almost two months down the line, the inspection exercise was done again on Monday, March 17, targeting some supermarkets in Lilongwe and more defective food was discovered.
According to MBS spokesperson Monica Khombe, about three supermarket operators were issued with prohibition orders and fined K902,780 each.
Among other things, Khombe said during the latest inspection, MBS impounded some products and issued a prohibition order to a supermarket in Lilongwe.
“Nature of the non-conformities included uncertified imported fish, chicken products that do not also comply with packaging (broken packages), and are not properly labeled.
“Various grocery products such as juices, snacks, biscuits with Chinese labels and compromised English translation that does not adequately reflect the product description including no name of manufacturer, and batch code for traceability,” Khombe said.
She added that MBS also impounded poor quality fruits and Irish potatoes and issued a prohibition notice not to sell fruits and Irish potatoes to some outlets in Lilongwe.
Chief of Health Services (Reforms) in the Ministry of Health Martias Joshua observed that unsafe foods can lead to various diseases and health issues, including communicable and non-communicable diseases, impaired growth, nutrient deficiencies and mental illnesses.
In a World Food Safety Day message, Joshua said over 200 diseases are linked to contaminated food, affecting one in 10 people globally each year, with the most significant impact on the poor and young people.
“Outbreaks of cholera and other food-borne illnesses which have affected Malawi over the years highlight the importance of food safety which is critical for their prevention,” Joshua said.
According to Joshua, good food safety not only protects health but also fosters economic prosperity by enhancing agriculture and boosting tourism and is, therefore, key to achieving several of the Sustainable Development Goals.
HRDC Chairperson Gift Trapence said recent closures of major retail outlets have exposed the shocking and widespread malpractice of selling expired, uncertified and unhygienic goods to unsuspecting consumers.
The scenario, according to Trapence, underscores a catastrophic failure of oversight and a betrayal of public trust by an institution tasked with safeguarding the health and wellbeing of all Malawians.
“This disgraceful situation reveals not only MBS’s complacency but also a deep-rooted systemic failure to enforce even the most basic standards of safety and quality.
“It is unconscionable that such malpractices are only now coming to light while the majority of smaller shops and vendors in rural areas, where most Malawians shop, continue to operate with little to no scrutiny,” Trapence said.
HRDC demanded that MBS must immediately implement a robust and inclusive inspection regime that covers not just large urban centres but also the most remote rural areas.
According to HRDC, selective enforcement is unacceptable.
Consumers Association of Malawi Executive Director John Kapito said MBS is supposed to be doing market inspections to flush out expired and unpalatable goods on a daily basis and not once in every five years.
“And they are supposed to be doing that in silence and not doing it like a wedding, where they invite media houses to capture it.
“So the question is, after last week, when else will they conduct the market checks. Why should we pay people who only do their daily job once in a year?” Kapito queried.
But MBS’s Khombe observed that inspections from the point of production and market surveillance are part of the routine activities of MBS, as guided by the Act.
She said MBS holds accountable any manufacturer or supplier of service or commodities within the limits of the regulatory framework.
As new Trade Minister Vitumbiko Mumba said after inspecting one supermarket in Blantyre, expired goods have no place on the shelf or in the warehouse. They have to move from the shelf to the dumpsite.
Malawians choose supermarkets because of their perceived high levels of hygiene.
It is the hope of Malawians that supermarkets will invest much effort in their quality control systems to ensure that they have a hygienic environment and stock unexpired goods.
Otherwise, their reputation is currently at stake.
