By MILDRED KATONGO –
THE Veterinary Department on the Copperbelt is concerned with the rampant sale of meat products by unlicensed traders.
The department has since warned of stern action against the traders, especially that the meat is usually unfit for human consumption.
Several people have been selling various meat products on the streets in Ndola and other towns without any certification.
Provincial veterinary officer Alisheke Mutemwa said in an interview that the department had intensified meat inspection and warned that those found doing the illegal business would face the law.
Dr Mutemwa said the department had also observed that a lot of butcheries in the province were selling meat that was not certified and fit for human consumption.
“The Veterinary Department, councils and the Ministry of Health will jointly swing into action to inspect meat products in the province.
“All the meat products that will be found not fit for human consumption will be destroyed and the people selling it will face the law. There has been an increase in number of butcheries selling meat that is not certified,” Dr Mutemwa said.
He said that the move had been necessitated after it came to the attention of the department that people were selling meat products that were not certified.
Dr Mutemwa said in order to effectively carry out the inspections, private abattoir owners would also be engaged.
Meanwhile, the rehabilitation works of a modern abattoir in Mufulira District at a cost of K456,000 has advanced with 90 per cent of the works done.
Mufulira Mayor Tomson Ngulube said in an interview that much of the work had been done and fencing the facility was the only thing remaining.
The fencing will be done in the next two weeks when the facility will be handed over to the council for operation.
Mr Ngulube said because of a lack of the facility, people in the district used unhygienic places to slaughter their animals.
“People are slaughtering animals anywhere because we do not have an abattoir, the one we have is in a dilapidated state. This is unhygienic because food is supposed to be prepared in a clean environment,” Mr Ngulube said.
He said the prices of meat products in the districts were higher because the slaughtering of animals was done either in other districts where there were no abattoirs or in unsanitary environment.