By HELEN ZULU –
THE Zambia Weights and Measures Agency (ZWMA) has charged and fined National Milling Company and APG Milling K60, 000 and K71, 000, respectively, for selling underweight mealie-meal bags in selected towns and cities.
A search conducted in Lusaka recently by ZWMA found that 25kg and 10kg bags of mealie-meal were weighing below what was stated on the package contrary to Section 32 (1) (b) of the Weights and Measures (Amendment) Act no. 12 of 2003.
The inspections were carried out in Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe, Luanshya, Chipata and Choma to ascertain the millers’ compliance to net content with regard to the packaging of the commodity.
ZWMA public relations officer Diana Ngula said out of the 10 milling companies inspected, seven in Lusaka, Ndola, Luanshya, and Choma were found guilty of the offence of packaging and offering for sale underweight mealie-meal.
“The agency inspected a total number of 17,850 bags of mealie-meal of which 17,450 were non-compliant as they all failed the average batch test,” Ms Ngula said.
Some of the non-compliant companies were National Milling Company, APG Milling Continental Milling and Mushe Milling.
Others were Jambo, Antelope and and Choma milling while Olympic, Cargil and HM milling were found to comply with the law.
The agency has since warned the erring milling firms and ordered them to stick correct quantity labels on the bags as provided for by law.
