The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) is a statutory organization established in 1972 by an Act of Parliament, Cap 51:02 (revised as Act No. 14 of 2012), with a mandate to promote metrology, standardization and quality assurance of commodities and of the manufacture, production, processing or treatment thereof; and further to provide for matters incidental to, or connected with standardization.

 

The MBS would like to inform the general public that it has suspended the production operations at Snowman Company in Lilongwe and Midland Catering services in Mzuzu with immediate effect. The suspension of the facilities is in line with the Malawi Bureau of Standards Act (Cap 51:02), Sections 39 (1) and 41. The general public may recall that MBS issued a recall order on 20th September, 2023 against Snowman Company, restraining it from producing and selling the ZEST CARBONATED DRINKS-LEMON FLAVOUR AND ZEST SOFT DRINK-COLA brands both bearing Batch Number: B00893 due to critical non-compliance on food safety parameters contrary to Malawi Standards (MS) 18:2010; Carbonated Soft Drinks-Specification (second edition). Following the recall order that was issued, the MBS conducted an audit assessment on the production unit of Snowman company to monitor action taken on the recalled products and verify the status of their production unit for the products in question. The conformity assessments conducted at Snowman Company and Midland Restaurant in Mzuzu showed that these facilities were operating below the minimum hygiene requirements provided in Malawi Standard (MS) 21:2002; Food and food processing units-Code of hygienic condition. The MBS hereby inform the general public to refrain from patronising products and catering services from these facilities until the non-conformities have been addressed in line with relevant Malawi Standards and the suspension orders are lifted. Meanwhile, the MBS has scaled up efforts to ensure that batches of carbonated soft drinks supplied by Snowman are removed from the market and that provision of catering Services at Midland Restaurant in Mzuzu has been suspended.

 

The MBS would like to assure the general public that we are currently continuing with the conformity assessments and taking appropriate actions on any defective product and services offered across the country. The MBS, therefore, would like to appeal to the public to continue reporting to the Bureau on its Toll-free number 462 on both Malawi Telecommunication Network (TNM) and Airtel Malawi lines if they encounter any suspected substandard product on the market and when production facilities are operating below minimum requirements.

 

The Director General