Malawi Bureau of Standards warns unrefined cooking oil dealers

The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) Chief Executive Officer Davlin Chokazinga has issued a stern warning to people who are involved in smuggling and selling of unrefined and uncertified cooking oil in local markets across the country.

Chokazinga warns against uncertitifed cooking oil
Chokazinga warns against uncertitifed cooking oil
Unrefined cooking oil
Unrefined cooking oil

On Wednesday and Thursday last week, MBS confiscated many litres of unrefined and uncertified cooking oil from traders who do ply their trade in some trading centres of the border district of Mulanje.

Most of the confiscated cooking oil, which forms a larger part of the oil that is found in many local markets in the country, is believed to be coming into the country from neighbouring countries, including Mocambique and Zambia.

Speaking before the disposing off of the confiscated cooking oil, Chokazinga said if the businesspersons continue with the smuggling and selling of such kind of cooking oil, the bureau will have no other option but to commit them to court in accordance with the MBS Act.

“We know that through this exercise, importers and smugglers are losing financially as they have spent money to buy this [confiscated oil]. But once we come again, the strategy would be to commit them to court.

“We will start prosecuting them so that chapter 51: 02 of the MBS Act should take its course. It is a new Act, revised in 2012 and it has a lot of stiffer penalties. So, if we take such people to court, they will be able to face the law and surely it will set a lesson to others,” Chokazinga said.

He said through the exercise, the MBS will comprehensively engage its inspectors to go to different markets in all districts in the country and confiscate all the uncertified cooking oil.

Chokazinga said cooking oil of such nature is dangerous to human health and they create health pressure not only on the people using them but the country’s health system.

“That is why we insist that people, whatever the case, need to buy oil that is approved by MBS as oil that is well refined and certified as suitable for human consumption,” he said.

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bratusha
bratusha
8 years ago

There are issues of economy here verses health implications. 5litrs of cooking oil from Mozambique is about K3,200.00 while the same quantity is by Lever Brothers is around K7,300.00 sometimes for nothing. Where do you think a poor Malawian will go? Most Malawian products are exorbitantly priced. MBS the cooking oil from Moz gets into Malawi through all the districts that border with Moz and you know what that means. Sometimes we even stop at Tsangano to buy this stuff. Komatu amawalemba vegetable oil. MBS you sound like effecting a ban on Be Forward yet majority can’t afford Toyota Malawi… Read more »

COMMENT
COMMENT
8 years ago

hey you malawians,don’t just come up with stupid comments here,don’t you know that this quality oil in our shops is very expensive think of those are staying in rural areas,so if you are manage to buy expensive things,don’t say bad comments about that oil because its like you are teasing poor pple which is sin before God,just thank God for uplifting you and pray for those are buying cheap things but not what you are saying mulungu angakutsitseni, And you MBS, first you must reduce the price of quality oil in our shops so that everyone will manage to buy,don’t… Read more »

MJ boy
8 years ago

Muuze mbava zina za MRA,ndi zomwe zikulimbikitsa mtchitidwewu.ndinachita kuona ndi maso anga akulandira k3,000 pa katundu ozembetsedwa koma wambiri zedi.

Bakha Nkhomano
Bakha Nkhomano
8 years ago

This institution is sleeping. Malawians have been consuming these imported oils since time immemorial. Why did it take you so long to warn the public? You did the same with Aqua Pure. You knew in December that some batches were unsafe for human consumption, yet you didnt warn or advise the public. Munadyapo zingati?

time tells
time tells
8 years ago

Mbs I thank you for trying to maintain standard on the cooking oil bur I have a concern which I think most people don’t know. The trucks bringing cooking oil from Mozambique are metal containers which over a time produce rust which mixes with cooking oil and is consumed by people, is that not a threat to people’s health? I thought consumable liquids like cooking oil was suppose to be hauled in plastic containers? I am only a lay man can someone pliz school me on this one

ri
ri
8 years ago

we don’t have much of the ‘bad’ oil users suffering from the said bad oil problems. On the contrary, those who use the ‘good oil’ are the ones taking pills for high blood pressure, diabetes etc, and they hav cancer, are obese, have too much cholesterol, are asthmatic, etc. free advice: refined oil(in fact any refined food) is not fit for human consumption. life style diseases are a result of eating the refined foods. cold pressed oil is the best ie. olive oil(very xpensive though).

KING SOLOMONS PALA
KING SOLOMONS PALA
8 years ago

THIS IS NON STARTER.SOME PPLE BUY DRUMS OF OIL FROM NOIL AT WHOLESALE AND REPARK IN SMALL PACKS AT MARKETS.PLS DO NOT PLAY WITH OTHER PPLES BUSINESSES.HOW DO U RECOGNISE /DIFERENCIATE GOOD OR BAD AT THE MARKET?.U END UP COMFISCATING GENUINE STUFF.PPLE HAV PUT IN A LOT OF MONEY.PLS THINK TWICE OR BE READY 4 BACKLUSH

osman usu justin
osman usu justin
8 years ago

Nde mutipatsa mpamba wa business ina aMutharika chifukwa yanga ndiyomweyo!

kesten
kesten
8 years ago

Zingakhale bwino a MBS mutafika msanga pa msika wa Dedza pamenepo pali mafuta amenewa ambiri ndipo amachita kusaphika kaye kuti akhale in liquid form. Akalandidwe ogulitsa onse pa Dedza Market.

MELINDA
MELINDA
8 years ago

zi cholestrol zambiri.kanthawi kochepa uona chimunthu kufufuma zimasaya,ati thanzi napepe,zima BP zosatha,cancer and likes.

tiyeni tizidya zinthu za thanzi amalawi.zinazi ndi maluwa amu msika,sizifunika kugula

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