Kirabo Sylvia, the communications head at the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), has urged the public to be vigilant about the expiry dates of products, highlighting it as a growing concern.
According to Kirabo, their research indicates that some traders, faced with excess stock and fearing losses, tamper with expiry dates and labels.
“We have noticed an increase in the sale of expired products across the business chain. We urge the public to report any evidence of such practices to us,” she emphasized.
During a weekly press briefing at the Police headquarters in Kampala, UNBS also addressed issues related to product weights and standards.
“In the process of transportation and final dispatch, some traders tamper with the weight of products, repackaging them and selling items of different weights,” Kirabo added.
In June, UNBS seized 700 bags of underweight sugar from V.G Keshwala and Sons in Soroti district, as well as underweight bread from Supa Loaf’s outlet in Mbarara city, following public complaints.
Under the UNBS Act 2013 and the Weights and Measures Act and Rules, packaging, selling, or possessing underweight pre-packed goods is an offence punishable by law.
Additionally, UNBS raised concerns about products on the market lacking the quality mark, stressing that this mark is the only assurance of safety. “Some manufacturers obtain quality marks from different localities and then use the same mark at new branches, which is against the law,” Kirabo stated, urging compliance with CAP 210 of the UNBS Act.
Sylvia thanked the public whistleblowers who report market quality concerns and reaffirmed UNBS’s commitment to quick interventions and ensuring safety.
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