Malawi recalls tinned fish products as CFTC asks full refund to consumers

The Competition and Fair Trading Commission of Malawi (CFTC) has appealed to all local retail outlets to immediately recall tinned fish products from the market and provide a full refund to consumers who bought the canned pilchards.

CFTC executive director James Kaphale said recall comes because the product was “compromised’ on the production line when the sauce was added to the fish in the can, and “therefore could affect the safety of consumers.”

He said there was a canning deficiency which has made the product with the code ZST-29 and ZSC-29 unfit for human consumption.

Kaphale, a lawyer by profession, has warned that any supermarket which does not recall the defective product risks facing “appropriate sanctions” under the Competition and Fair Trading Act and the Consumer Protection Act.

Meanwhile, the Comesa Competition Commission (CCC) has warned consumers to exercise caution and avoid consuming the product.

In a statement released on Tuesday and signed by its director George Lipimile, CCC said the recall follows the outcome of an investigation by NRCS which revealed a deficiency in the canning process.

It reads: “It was found that some of the cans were compromised during the sauce filling step on the production line and, therefore, could affect the safety of consumers.” According to the statement, the recalled products were manufactured in 2019 by West Point Processors based in Cape Town.

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