AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIA Bureau of Standards (TBS) has said it will lay more emphasis on public education to enhance consumer awareness on imported goods that they meet the required quality and health standards.
This was said by TBS senior inspector, Donald Manyama during their regular inspection of supermarkets in Dar es Salaam City.
He said there was a need for continued public education particularly to importers and distributers of imported goods, including cosmetics to identify substandard goods.
During inspection, TBS impounded expired cosmetics worth over 10m/- and others were not showing expiry dates. A total of 620 samples were impounded during the exercise.
“Some shops were found with products that had already expired while others were not showing expiry dates. Goods impounded during inspection are cosmetics, artificial hair and body lotion,” he said.
He urged shop owners selling illegal cosmetic products in the local market to provide detailed explanation within 14 days about why legal measures should not be taken against them.
“They should explain why they are selling expiry products which is against the law and other products which do not show the manufacture or expiry dates, all of which are endangering human health.”
Mr Manyanya said distributors of expiry products and those which did not show the manufacture of products and expiry dates would face a 20m/- fine and would be summoned to court if they continued engaging in illegal businesses.
One of the dealers who preferred anonymity claimed there were problems in some government departments for allowing the importation of goods that did not meet required standards.
