By Chinoyi Chipulu
Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) has warned milling companies of stern action if they skip the mandatory Aflatoxin tests.
And MAZ says it will be mandatory for all bags of mealie meal to be tested for aflatoxin before being put on the market.
Featuring on Radio Christian Voice on Saturday, association President Andrew Chintala said going forward, all bags of mealie meal would be subjected to aflatoxin tests before hitting the market to ensure that the commodity was safe for consumption.
Chintala said the association was addressing this issue seriously so that it does not re-occur.
“For now we are able to screen what we have and trace back what we have because we need to address this issue adequately to ensure that we arrest this thing. We are doing everything possible to make sure we trace this thing and know where it came from,” he said.
Chintala said people should avoid making alarming statements on the issue as they were causing fear and panic among citizens .
“The way the news was received by the public, people were just going to research on the dangers of aflatoxin. We quickly went to look at the side effects without understanding that there are certain allowed levels of aflatoxin that human beings can consume without causing any damage,” he said.
Chintala said people should be calm and get information from experts in this field who were well informed.
“Some people wanted to politicise this thing and try and make other people look like they don’t know what they are talking about. When I stood to respond, I was responding from an informed position. We are sitting with technocrats, people that are responsible for public health, people that are responsible for managing the standards and compliance,” Chintala sais. “So let’s no be careless, it is not any topic that you can come out and comment on. Yes it’s a public concern but let’s respect people that are responsible for doing these jobs because you alarm the nation by making careless statements.”
Chintala warned milling companies of stern action if they skip the mandatory Aflatoxin tests during the supply chain.
Meanwhile, a caller from Kitwe only identified as bashi Precious said the government was accusing private millers of selling contaminated mealie-meal in order to protect the ZNS brand.
He said people were scared of buying ZNS mealie-meal because they knew it was not safe for consumption.
“They just failed to tell us that the ZNS mealie meal is one of the brands that has contaminated products because it is government owned. They just want to destroy business for private millers so that they can have more customers. But as zambians, we have rejected their mealie meal, we will just be buying the same mealie meal they are mentioning. We doubt their ZNS mealie meal because we know it’s not safe,” he said.
Another the caller said that people of Zambia did not trust the government and what Chintala was saying because he was only making money.
“Ba Chintala icho ichifulo chenu mulepangilapofye indalama (you are using your position to make money) and government is making money and scared that people will stop buying their mealie meal. Just say if you being intimidated. If it’s in other countries, government would have paid all the Zambians for subjecting us to such products,” the caller said. “There are so many lives at stake here and if you are just giving us false statements, lesa takamileke (God won’t spare you). How can safe mealie meal kill a dog? Mulekwata insoni noluse (you should be ashamed, be sympathetic). You and your government have put many lives at stake.”
In response to callers concerns, Chitala said all bags of mealie meal would be tested before being offloaded on the market.
“Whether it’s eagles mealie-meal or whichever brand, they will be tested. I don’t want to ride on speculations, that’s why I said let’s allow people charged with these responsibilities to shed light and clarify issues. And I am not intimidated, I do my job to the core. This is why I’m here to represent the millers that I represent from the private sector and when they are issues like this,” said Chintala.
