Malawi Bureau of Standards suspends 2 Blantyre restaurants

Source: The Times Group Malawi
Author: Richard Chirombo

Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) has suspended two restaurants that operate at two of the country's hotels for alleged non-compliance with hygienic requirements.

In a statement which MBS Director General Bernard Thole has published in our sister paper Malawi News, the standards body indicates that it has taken the action in "the interest of public health safety".

"The MBS would like to inform the general public that it has suspended the operations of Hotel Victoria (Restaurant) and Heritage Hotel by Serendib (Bakery and Restaurant) with immediate effect due to non-compliance with hygienic requirements.

"During the recent regulatory conformity assessment activities by the MBS, the aforementioned business operators were found operating below the minimum hygiene requirements for the Malawi Standard (MS) 21:2002; Food and food processing units -- code of hygienic conditions -- exposing the products and or services to significant food safety risk," the statement reads.

The standards body says it will continue monitoring premises to ascertain levels of hygiene.

"In the interest of public health safety, and based on the provisions of the Malawi Bureau of Standards Act (Cap 51:02), sections 34(1) and 39(1), the MBS hereby exercises its mandate to issue suspension orders to these business operators until all registered shortfalls are addressed as stipulated in the relevant Malawi Standard and the suspension is lifted," MBS says.

MBS is mandated to promote metrology, standardisation and quality assurance of commodities in the country.

On March 22 this year, MBS asked its officers, Malawi Police Service personnel and workers in the Ministry of Trade to be steadfast on market surveillance exercises and enforcement of regulations if the country's markets were to have quality and standard goods.

Thole made the remarks during a daylong training on MBS mandate and regulations which attracted police and district trade officers from Northern Region districts.