Expired products are health’s worst plot twist
FROM dodgy milk powder in the market to flour with secret ingredients that could be anything from chalk to alien dust, our markets are a treasure trove of “What-on-earth-is-this?” products.
Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), you have got your work cut out for you.
The public deserves to know what they are buying before they swallow it. Let us get real. Expired and substandard goods are like silent killers lurking in our food and homes, ready to pounce and mess up our health in ways we don’t see coming.
These goods don’t just expire on the calendar, they simply expire on safety, quality and common sense. The result? Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, hypertension and other chronic illnesses that could have been avoided if only the warning signs were shouted loud and clear.
So, TBS, how about mounting some serious, frequent, public education campaigns to expose these health saboteurs before it is too late? Here’s a spicy one for you, TBS: The unlicensed, imported formula milk that comes cloaked in Arabic labels most parents can’t even read.
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Parents don’t need a PhD in cryptography to understand what they are feeding their babies. This clandestine trade is not just unethical; it is a ticking time bomb.
Babies deserve safe, nutritious milk, not mystery powder that could lead to malnutrition or worse. TBS, it is time to put on your detective hats and shut down these shady importers.
No more hiding behind foreign scripts, if it is not licensed and safe, it doesn’t belong on our shelves! Now, let us talk about flour. Yes, flour! The staple ingredient in so many Tanzanian kitchens.
But some local traders are selling flour whose ingredients have never been certified by anyone, yet boldly claim it is safe for children and general consumption.
That is like selling a car without brakes and telling buyers to just “drive carefully.” We need transparency, TBS, especially in the mushrooming supermarkets in the residential areas selling them. The public needs to know what is in their flour before it turns into a health hazard. It is high time you cracked down on these traders who treat food safety like a joke.
TBS, you are fighting a giant. Tanzania is vast, our markets are sprawling and the challenge of policing fake goods is massive. But a warrior without weapons is just a spectator. Government, please hear this: If you want to win this war against counterfeit and substandard products, TBS needs extra priority funding and resources.
Think of it as investing in a health insurance policy for the entire nation. The cost of ignoring this fight is far higher in lives, in healthcare bills and in lost productivity.
So, let us arm TBS with the tools, personnels and funds needed to run frequent public awareness, patrol every corner, every market and every sneaky seller out there. Consumers, wake up! Don’t fall for flashy packaging or fake promises.
Demand proof, certification and quality. If TBS steps up, and the government backs them up, we can turn the tide. But this battle won’t be won by wishful thinking, it takes relentless education, strict enforcement and a public that refuses to settle for less than safe goods. TBS, the stage is yours. Show us you mean business.
