By Andrew Irumba
Operatives from the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) conducted a CHRISTMAS OPERATION, during which they busted Bonjour Supermarket at Total fuel station, opposite Corner House in Ntinda, which was found storing rotten meat in the same deep freezer with ice cream.
The raid, which was conducted following complaints from concerned shoppers, ended with both the ice-cream and rotten meat destroyed on site, plus the supermarket owner summoned, although they had fled the scene after learning of the police raid.
Recently during a stakeholders’ meeting in Kampala, the UNBS reiterated its call to supermarkets to stop selling uncertified products.
The “Use of UNBS Distinctive Mark, 2018” requires that all products covered by compulsory standards must be certified and issued with UNBS Distinctive Mark before they are allowed on the Market.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement meeting with owners of supermarkets on 30th October, 2019, the UNBS Deputy Executive Director in Charge of Compliance, Mr. John Paul Musimami, said: “It’s an offence to sell products that do not bear the UNBS distinctive mark”.
“I would like to ask you to remain vigilant and stock products that have been certified by UNBS. It is the duty of each one of us to protect consumers from using products that are likely to harm their health,” he added.
Mr. Musimami stressed that anyone working contrary to the UNBS distinctive mark regulation is liable to a fine of 1000 currency points (Shs20M) or a jail term of not less than 3 years.
He further revealed that the engagement is aimed at stopping the ‘we didn’t know’ excuse during UNBS enforcements.
The supermarket owners were urged to;
- Ensure hygiene of their supermarket premises most especially the fridges that store meat
- Ensure that expired products are off the shelf and avoid mixing expired products with non expired products
- Ensure that food stuffs are not mixed with soaps or perfumes when displaying products on shelves
- Deal in ONLY certified products
- Have quality personnel at their supermarkets and UNBS will train them at no cost
- Form an association to ease communication between all supermarket owners and UNBS to ensure complian
