The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has received a public warning from the COMESA Competition Commission (CCC) warning the public against consuming canned pilchards in tomato and chili sauce products from South Africa that are alleged to be unfit for human consumption.
This is in pursuant to Article 30 (1) (b) of the COMESA Competition Regulations.
CCPC Public Relations Officer Rainford Mutabi said the concern comes after the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) in South Africa ordered a national recall of all 400 grams pilchard products.
Mr Mutabi said the product were found to have been compromised during the sauce filling process and could thereby affect consumers.
“Some of the affected brands which the investigation identified include: Deep Catch, Mamas, Ok Housebrand, Prime Ocean, Spar, Sunny, Shoprite Ritebrand, Cape Point, Checkers Housebrand, u brand, Saldanha and West Point all manufactured by West Point Processors in Cape Town, South Africa,” he said.
He said the Commission would like to urge consumers to exercise caution by ensuring that they look out for the affected pilchard products and avoid consumption for the good of their health and safety.
Mr Mutabi said the Commission in collaboration with the Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA), the Ministry of Health, Public Health Departments of Local Councils and other stakeholders has instituted a countrywide exercise which is aimed at ensuring that all such products with the affected batch numbers that may have penetrated the Zambian market are removed from the shelves.
“The Commission hereby directs all wholesalers, supermarkets, distributors, retailers, importers and traders to remove and surrender to the nearest Public Health office of every Council all affected Pilchard products which have can tops bearing markings starting with ZST29 and ZSC29 respectively,” he said.
