Red flag over food safety risks

SAMUEL NJINGA

The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) has called for stronger food safety systems, enhanced regulatory enforcement, and increased consumer awareness amid growing concerns over the safety of food products available on the market, Business Times can report.

The consumer watchdog warned that food safety remains a critical consumer rights issue, particularly as economic challenges have driven many households to rely increasingly on informal food markets and supply chains.

CCZ said it continues to receive numerous complaints from consumers relating to expired products, poor storage conditions, inadequate hygiene practices in food handling environments, and misleading or incomplete product labelling.

“These challenges represent a burden that consumers continue to carry in their daily lives,” CCZ Chief Executive Officer Rosemary Mpofu said.

“It is not just the responsibility of regulators alone, nor consumers alone, but a collective obligation involving government institutions, local authorities, producers, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, enforcement agencies and consumers themselves.”

She emphasised that every stakeholder along the food value chain, from agricultural producers to retailers, has a responsibility to ensure that food reaching consumers is safe and fit for human consumption.

Mpofu expressed concern over persistent reports of expired products, poor hygiene practices, and the tampering of expiry dates, warning that such practices pose serious health risks to consumers.

She said the challenges confronting the country should be viewed as an opportunity to strengthen Zimbabwe’s food safety systems and build more resilient consumer protection mechanisms.

The CCZ is advocating a shift from reactive interventions to preventive approaches. Among its key recommendations are intensified food inspections in both formal and informal markets, stricter compliance with food safety standards by businesses, improved coordination among regulators and consumer protection institutions, and greater investment in food testing infrastructure.

A major concern raised by the organisation is the need to strengthen laboratory capacity in Zimbabwe.

Mpofu said government laboratories should be adequately equipped to conduct comprehensive food testing and support effective surveillance of products entering the market.

“We need our government laboratories to be well capacitated to test foods across various nutritional and safety components. Consumer protection starts with having strong testing systems in place,” she said.

She also underscored the importance of risk-based inspections, arguing that prevention is far less costly than responding to food safety incidents after they occur.

“If we are not careful, we will continuously be putting resources into mitigating risks after they have already happened, which becomes more expensive for the country,” Mpofu said.

Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that unsafe food causes hundreds of millions of cases of foodborne illnesses each year, resulting in significant health and economic costs. Contamination from bacteria, viruses, parasites and harmful chemicals remains a major public health challenge, particularly in developing countries where regulatory systems often face resource constraints.

In Zimbabwe, food safety concerns have intensified amid reports of counterfeit products, inadequate storage facilities and the rapid growth of informal trading activities. Consumer advocates argue that strengthening oversight mechanisms is essential to protecting public health and maintaining confidence in the country’s food systems.

The CCZ also underscored the importance of science-based decision-making in food safety management, saying evidence, data and risk assessments should guide interventions to ensure controls are preventive rather than merely responsive.

Beyond government and industry responsibilities, the council urged consumers to play a more active role in protecting their own health.

Mpofu encouraged consumers to check expiry dates before purchasing products, inspect packaging integrity, report unsafe products and avoid accepting poorly packaged food items.

“An informed and empowered consumer is a key line of defence in food safety,” she said.

“Consumers are encouraged to remain vigilant. Let us always check expiry dates, observe packaging integrity and report unsafe products whenever we encounter them.”