
Oct 5 , 2019
By DAGMAWIT ZEWDU ( FORTUNE STAFF WRITER
)
The Ethiopian Food & Drug Authority added 26 more processed food products to the banned items list for failing to fulfill labeling requirements.
Banned on September 27, 2019, the items are various brands of edible oil, vinegar, Vimto, iodised salt, honey and packed baby foods. The Authority stated that the products were found not having labels with details of production date, expiry date, nutritional content, place of production and name of the producing company.
Since last June the Authority has banned a total of 146 food items in four rounds for failing to have detailed labels, which is the mandatory standard by which the Authority traces producers.
Based on the findings of the latest fourth post-market analysis study conducted in the capital and its surroundings, 11 types of edible oil, a vinegar, Vimto soft drinks, seven iodised salts, three types of honey products and three brands of packed food products were banned from the market.
Zebibe, Nur, Seket, Hamad, Anagena, Dagm, Tizta, Rosa, Nud, Meraf and Birhan are the new edible oil brands banned from the market, while Sara and Nusra, Abat, Emirate, Safe, Mustura, Kanna and Care are the iodized salt brands. All were found in the market without descriptive labels on the products.
Besides, eight more products, including Eshet Pumpkin, Dalima Jam, Adey Ababa Honey, Addis Filtered Honey, Nebo Filtered Honey, Mulu Children’s Food, Lara Vimto and Samit Vinegar, were banned from the market.
During the assessment, these products are found to be manufactured by unknown producers, with unknown ingredients, without production or expiration dates or manufacturer locations, according to Abera Deneke, public relations and communications coordinator at the authority.
Along with banning the products from the market, the Authority warned the public not to consume unlabeled products and cautioned them to check that all requirements are fulfilled on labels before buying products, according to Abera.
The Authority has ordered the producers, distributors and retailers to remove the products from the shelf within a given time period. It also instructed inspection bodies at every branch of the Administration to follow up with the enactment.
In the first round, the Authority banned 46 food products including some edible oils, baby foods and table salt brands for not having labels that provide information about the products. In the second round, the Administration banned 57 processed food products under eight categories. The third round inspection was ended with the ban of 17 cooking oil brands.
Food and nutrition expert, Zelalem Debebe (PhD), supported the ban of the products.
Labeling with detailed information is essential for the protection and safety of public health, according to Zelalem.
“Manufacturers should abide by it,” he said.
PUBLISHED ON
Oct 05,2019 [ VOL
20 , NO
1014]
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