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 revoked the certification and production of Mama’s Choice Chambiko and Mama’s Choice Yoghurt (Pineapple) by African Dairy Limited and has ordered recall of the products from the market with immediate effect due to critical noncompliance on food safety parameters contrary to Malawi Standard quoted as MS 191: 2014; Yoghut Specification and MS 807:2017; Fermented Milk Specification, respectively. During the recent routine regulatory conformity assessment activities, the MBS collected samples of the products in question for laboratory tests in accordance with relevant standards above, and the results revealed critical noncompliance to the minimum requirements on the food safety parameters. Based on the laboratory tests that the MBS conducted, batch number T348 of Mama Choice Yoghurt (Pineapple) and Mama Choice Chambiko were deemed defective and dangerous for use, and in the interest of public health safety, and in line with provisions of the Malawi Bureau of Standards Act (Cap 51:02), Sections 39 (1) and 41, the MBS hereby bans the presence of the said batches of MAMA Choice Chambiko and Mama’s Choice Yoghurt (Pineapple) with in all market streams across the country with immediate effect.
The MBS hereby issue an order to African Dairy Ltd which is based in Mapanga, Blantyre stopping them from manufacturing and distributing these products until all registered shortfalls on food safety parameters are addressed as stipulated in the relevant Malawi Standards and the certification is reissued and further recall the products from all the retail outlets by 19th January 23. The MBS is, therefore, advising the retail outlets to withdraw these products from the market such that they are not accessible to the consumers and also the general public to refrain from buying or consuming these products.
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