MBS in fertiliser surveillance,recalls substandard products

The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) is conducting a fertiliser surveillance on the market to curb rising cases of sale of substandard fertiliser.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Blantyre, MBS director of metrology services Thom Senganimalunje said through the exercise, MBS has also issued product quarantine and recall orders against poorly labelled or underweight fertilisers.

He said the surveillance follows rising complaints of sale and packaging of defective fertiliser contrary to MBS’ compliance with the mandatory labelling (marking) requirements as stipulated in the applicable Mandatory Malawi Standards.

He said: “Selling underweight fertiliser is an offence. Adulteration of fertilisers with the aim to cheat unsuspecting customers is a punishable offence apart from being unethical.

“As we are all aware, Malawi’s economy depends on agriculture where the quality of fertiliser is critical for food security. Fertilisers must be stored or packaged under conditions that are protected from moisture and any other contaminants.”

With the aid of police, MBS has since confiscated a consignment of fake and defective fertilisers which were mixed with non-fertiliser materials in Mzuzu, fake NPK 23:10:5+6S+1Zn fertiliser packed in Falcon branded bags abusing the marks of ETG inputs as well as fake NPK fertiliser mixed with non-fertiliser materials.

Meanwhile, the bureau has recalled deformed steel bars (Y12 and Y16) by Huamin Limited in Lilongwe and Snowman Company’s Zest Cola carbonated soft drink batch number-B00893 due to critical failure on quality and non-compliance on food safety parameters, respectively.

MBS has also confiscated a consignment of diapers at Santa Plaza in Lilongwe, and confiscated as well as destroyed over 1 500 cases of 500ml Sobo Orange from Nano Investments, Maone Park in Blantyre, due to illegal date code tampering.