The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
THE Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) has cautioned retailers and wholesalers selling unfortified sugar which experts say do not meet the required health standards and is exerting undue competition on local products.
Fortified foods such as sugar contain added vitamins and minerals that are not naturally present in the products.
The fortification of sugar with vitamins, such as vitamin A, is one of the safest, most efficacious, and most cost-effective interventions to prevent and control vitamin A deficiency.
Last week, Buy Zimbabwe, a lobby body for the promotion of local products, said there were reports that some imported unfortified sugar brands are being sold on the local market.
This is in contravention of sections 4 and 5 of Statutory Instrument 120 of 2016 which requires that sugar be fortified with food fortificants that have been approved by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare.
Responding to the raised concerns, CZR president Mr Denford Mutashu said retailers must guard against engaging in business practices that contravenes the law “Retailers and wholesalers should desist from selling unfortified sugar or any unauthorised product with potential to cause harm, injury or irreparable damage to consumers’ health and welfare.”
Dr Mthokozisi Tafadzwa Nkosi
Consumer Protection Commission chairman Dr Mthokozisi Tafadzwa Nkosi said products that come into the country should be regulated to protect consumers.
“What is important is to say that whatever comes into the country has to be regulated and meet the standards that are expected.
We have got our Standard Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) which now has got that responsibility to ensure that whatever comes through actually meets the quality standards expected in the country.
So, bringing in of goods that we believe are harmful to consumers becomes a serious offence.
We cannot put the health of our consumers at risk unnecessarily,” said Dr Nkosi.
A consumer, Mrs Sandra Nkala said the relevant authorities should take the necessary action against the importation of unfortified sugar brands as they pose a health risk especially to children.
She said consumers should always be vigilant and buy locally manufactured fortified sugar from the local markets which meet the set dietary standards.
In the trading update for the year ended 31 March 2022 and the first quarter ended 30 June 2022, Hippo Valley Estates Limited said although local demand for sugar remains strong as industry recovers from the impacts of Covid-19, the sugar industry was engaging authorities to ensure an even competitive playing field against cheap imports of sugar originating from surplus producers who enjoy duty protection in their host countries.
“This is also in an attempt to safeguard the health of the local population as some of the sugar imported is not Vitamin A fortified, as required by law,” said the company.
