Use correct scales, bakeries, butcheries warned

Tue, 10 Oct 2017 13:03:44 +0000

By SANDRA MACHIMA

BAKERY and butchery owners have been asked to use only approved and verified scales for accuracy, says Zambia Weights and Measures Agency public relations officer Mutale Chileshe.

Mr Chileshe said they have continued to receive complaints concerning the weight of bread and meat being sold, noting that a number of bakeries and butcheries were using wrong models and non-verified scales in their businesses.

“The ZWMA is concerned about the disregard of quantity control measures in bakeries and butcheries, owing to the fact that some bakeries and butcheries are using wrong models and non-verified scales in their business.

“This is one of the major causes of the underweight products being sold, and it is an offence to sell or cause to be sold anything by weight or measure short of the quantity demanded by the purchaser or represented by the sellers,” he said.

Mr Chileshe said a weighing and measuring instrument must measure accurately at all times, adding anything that was used to weigh and measure when pricing a product was required  by law to be verified for accuracy by the ZWMA to ensure there was fair trade.

And Mr Chileshe said they seized nine non-approved models of scales from some butcheries at Kalukungu and Macha Road Market in Choma.

The inspection findings revealed that out of the twelve outlets inspected, five outlets had approved instruments and seven outlets had non-type approved scales, and the owners were advised to buy type approved scales and have them verified by the ZWMA.