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REMOVE PILCHARDS FISH WITH CODES ZST29, ZSC29 - DR MAGAGULA

By NOKUZOLA THWALA | 2020-02-27

THE ministry of health has warned Emaswati not to buy 400g of Pilchards in tomato and chilli sauce bearing the codes or markings starting with ZST29 and ZSC29.

This warning was released by Director of Health Services Dr. Vusi Magagula in a statement yesterday.

He urged consumers to remove all the implicated food products from their food storages at homes and return them to the shop where they were purchased for a refund. He assured of the ministry’s commitment in ensuring safety for all foodstuff meant for human consumption.

“The ministry of health is grateful for the voluntary removal of these implicated products by some wholesalers and retailers. Environmental Health Officers from the ministry and municipalities have started visiting all wholesalers and retailers to ensure that such canned fish products are removed from the shelves and not exposed for sale. Environmental Health Officers at the points of entry are conducting documentary checks and full inspections of all foodstuff to ensure that these implicated canned fish products are not allowed to enter into the country,” he said.

The director disclosed that the implicated product brands are conspicuously engraved with the above mentioned codes on top of the can/tin for easy identification. The following is the list of affected product brands; Deep Catch, Mammals, OK House brand, Prime Ocean, Spar, Sunny, Shoprite Rite brand, Cape Point, Checkers House brand, U Brand, Saldanha and West Point.

He said action was being taken for all canned fish bearing the codes or markings stated above by disallowing importation of all canned fish bearing the aforementioned codes or markings, seizing and enforcing recall of implicated canned fish products at the points of entry, wholesalers and retailers. “We recall of the implicated products from consumers back to the retailers of origin. We seize and condemn all implicated canned fish products for wholesalers and retailers failing to heed voluntary recalling, ensure safe disposal of all the seized and condemned implicated canned fish products. All food wholesalers and retailers are required to remove and stop selling the implicated canned fish with immediate effect,” stated the director.

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