THIRTEEN prominent retail outlets and butcheries in Bulawayo were recently censured for selling meat unfit for human consumption, council’s acting director of health services, Charles Malaba has revealed.
Early this year, council conducted a joint operation with the Veterinary Services Department during which more than 400kg of condemned meat and 170 birds were seized.
The operation was part of routine inspections carried out in January when business premises renewed their shop licences and certificates of registration.
Council minutes state that over 99 kilogrammes of chicken and 170 wholesome birds, 24kg of pork, 5,2kg of fish and over 225kg of beef were confiscated from various retail outlets that included some prominent supermarkets in Bulawayo after being deemed unfit for human consumption.
In the minutes, Malaba said the operation was aimed at ensuring that all meat sold in the city was safe for human consumption.
“The operation was holistic in its approach as it involved the inspection of butcheries in terms of hygiene and advising on areas of improvement. Where unwholesome meat was found, it was condemned and disposed of at the SPCA,” he said.
Malaba said a food safety awareness programme was conducted through a local radio station that drew participants from council, Veterinary Services Department (Food Inspection and Field Services) police and other stakeholders.
“The programme was designed to be educative and bring awareness on the dangers of consuming uninspected meat which may be diseased, discouraging buying from vendors who do not have appropriate facilities for safe food handling as well as the expected conduct of butchery operators and health inspectors,” the council minutes said.
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