Friday, December 27, 2024
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MBS Revokes Certificates of Unhygienic & Non-compliant Companies in Malawi

Bernard Thole

The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) is demonstrating its vigilance by publicly identifying and condemning companies that fail to uphold hygiene standards or engage in fraudulent activities within the country. As a consequence of their non-compliance with established Malawi Standards, the MBS has taken decisive action by revoking their operating certificates until they demonstrate genuine repentance and a commitment to adhere to fair practices.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Bureau announced the revocation or suspension of certification for the following Business Operators, citing their failure to comply with relevant standards.

“𝐒𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐲 (𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐧𝐬); 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐚 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞-𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐌𝐳𝐮𝐳𝐮 (𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐁𝐮𝐧𝐬, 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 & 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠); 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 (𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬); 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐍’ 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲, 𝐌𝐳𝐮𝐳𝐮 (𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐲); 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐳𝐢 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 (𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞); 𝐌𝐳𝐮𝐳𝐮 𝐂𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐭𝐝 (𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞); 𝐄𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐝𝐠𝐞, 𝐌𝐳𝐮𝐳𝐮 (𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬); 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐲 (𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 & 𝐁𝐮𝐧𝐬); 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐤𝐮 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬-𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱, 𝐋𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐰𝐞 (𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐧𝐬); 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐊𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬, 𝐋𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐰𝐞 (𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬).”

According to the Bureau, during the recent routine regulatory conformity assessment activities by the MBS, the aforementioned Business Operators were found operating below the minimum requirements of the Malawi Standard (MS) 21:2002; Food and food processing units-code of hygienic conditions exposing the products and or services to significant food safety risk.

“In the interest of public health safety, and in line with provisions of the Malawi Bureau of Standards Act (Cap 51:02), Sections 34 (1) and 39 (1), the MBS hereby exercises its mandate to withdraw the certification and, or issue suspension order to these Business Operators until all registered shortfalls are addressed as stipulated in the relevant Malawi Standards and the certification is reissued, or suspension is lifted. The MBS is, therefore, advising the consumers and also the general public to refrain from patronising services (catering and meat handling), and buying or consuming products from these facilities,” in part reads the statement.

The statement concludes:

“In The MBS would like to assure the general public that we are currently continuing with the conformity assessments and taking appropriate actions on any defective products and services offered across the country. The MBS, therefore, would like to appeal to the public to continue reporting to the Bureau on its 𝐓𝐨𝐥𝐥-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟔𝟐 on both Malawi Telecommunication Network (TNM) and Airtel Malawi lines if they encounter any suspected substandard products on the market and when production facilities are operating below minimum requirements.”

 

The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS)  is a statutory organization established in 1972 by an Act of Parliament, Cap 51:02 (revised as Act No. 14 of 2012), with a mandate to promote metrology, standardization and quality assurance of commodities and of the manufacture, production, processing or treatment thereof; and further to provide for matters incidental to, or connected with standardization.

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