Unguja. The Zanzibar Food and Drugs Agency (ZFDA) has destroyed 4.8 tonnes of S.M.A No. 1 infant formula after it was found to be contaminated with cereulide, a toxin produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus.
The move aims to safeguard the health of children and the wider public from potential harm associated with consuming the unsafe product, which has been declared unfit for human use.
Speaking during the recent destruction exercise, ZFDA Public Relations Officer Ms Fatuma Makame Juma said the action followed a notification from Nestlé regarding contamination in some batches of the product.
She said that upon receiving the alert, ZFDA carried out an urgent inspection across various commercial outlets and successfully withdrew the affected formula from the market before it could reach consumers.
“These products could have caused a range of adverse effects in children and other users, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. It was therefore necessary to act swiftly,” she said.
Ms Juma clarified that only S.M.A No. 1 had been affected and destroyed, assuring the public that S.M.A No. 2 and No. 3 currently available on the market are safe and fit for consumption.
She urged traders and members of the public to cooperate with ZFDA by promptly reporting any spoiled, expired or suspicious products so that appropriate action can be taken without delay.
For his part, a representative of Bopar Enterprises Ltd, Mr Abdul Hussen Mohamed, said their collaboration with ZFDA enabled the timely removal of the contaminated products from the market, preventing potential harm to children.
He added that the company would continue working closely with regulatory authorities to ensure all imported goods undergo proper inspection and receive official clearance before entering the market.
“We have been ensuring that every product entering the country obtains import approval from ZFDA to prevent unsafe goods from reaching the public,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Kibele resident, Mr Juma Hamdani, said strict control of unsafe products is vital in ensuring that children and the wider community have access to quality and safe goods for daily use.
He also commended ZFDA for its efforts in protecting public health and urged the agency to continue taking firm action against products deemed unsafe for human consumption.
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