The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission – CCPC has with the Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency – ZCSA and Ministry of Health instituted a countrywide exercise aimed at removing pilchard products from the Zambian market.
This follows a warning from the COMESA Competition Commission – CCC to CCPC Pursuit to Article 30 (1) (b) of the COMESA Competition Regulations to warn the general public against consuming canned pilchards in tomato and chili source products from South Africa that are alleged to be unfit for human consumption.
The concern comes after the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications – NRCS in South Africa ordered a national recall of all 400 grams pilchards products which were found to have been compromised during the source filling process and could thereby affect consumers.
Some of the affected brands which the investigation identified include, Deep Catch, Mamas, Ok Housebran, Prime Ocean, Spar, Sunny, Cape point, Checkers, House brand, U brand, and West point all manufactured by West point processors in Cape Town, South Africa.
The Commission has to this effect in conjunction with other stakeholders commenced an exercise which will ensure such products that may have penetrated on the Zambian market are removed from the shelves.
In a statement made available to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT by the CCC Communications Officer Ranford Mutabi, the commission has directed 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 from with ZST29 an ZSC29 respectively.
