Expired beverages flood market in Malawi

Consumer body in Malawi called Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA) has been asked to investigate the flooding of expired beverages on the country’s market which poses a health hazard to consumers.
The situation is getting worse in rural areas where few people are aware of their consumer rights and the hazards of taking expired beverages.
It has been noted that some desperate traders keep stocking expired beverages particularly those imported into the country from foreign factories, bottled in plastic materials.
It is observed that once the beverages reach expiry dates, desperate traders simply remove or change the inscriptions on the caps and replace them with new dates just to deceive consumers that the contents are fresh and healthy.
Cama Executive Officer Andrew Ussi said to journalists the issue of expired products has reached worsening levels and the body is investigating several other matters related to the same.
He however said his body is yet to receive a formal complain on the flooding of expired beverages.
“As Cama, we are touched with the situation particularly to a rural consumer whose knowledge on consumer rights is not too good, we are engaged in sensitization programmes to step up their knowledge,” he said.
He also asked journalists to help Cama with awareness on the masses on the need to alarm the body if they spot any trader selling expired beverages or any other products.
Cama is also engaged in a fight against smoking which the body says is increasing Tuberculosis and cancer cases in the country in particular and the world inn general.
The body is campaigning for anti Public smoking law, which would bar smokers from taking their cigars in public. It is believed that when a man smokes in public, all the other people exposed to the smoke are also smoking. This type of smoking is called passive smoking and is believed to have increased cases of cancer and TB among married couples where one members smokes in the presence of the other who later develops the diseases as a result of nicotine.