South Sudan standards bureau bans repackaging of expired food
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Eye Radio
The South Sudan National Bureau of Standards said H-Brothers’ certificate for weighing and packaging equipment does not authorise the repackaging of expired food. It recalled that the practice is illegal and requires an official permit and declarations of the products and quantities, according to Eye Radio.
The South Sudan National Bureau of Standards has banned H-Brothers from repackaging expired food products. At a press conference, the body clarified that the certificate issued for the company’s weighing and packaging equipment did not constitute authorisation to repackage food past its expiry date, according to Eye Radio.
The certificate from the metrology department only confirms that the equipment complies with measurement standards. Product compliance falls under the quality assurance department, the Bureau explained, describing the repackaging of expired food as illegal and threatening sanctions against companies engaging in it.
Any company wishing to repackage food products must first obtain official authorisation, declare the products and quantities concerned, and then submit them for testing. Approved activities must be monitored by inspectors to verify labelling, traceability and the consistency of expiry dates. Expired products must be isolated and then destroyed under the supervision of the competent authorities and security forces.
The clarification comes after the opening, on 26 October, of an investigation into expired food repackaged in Juba. The Bureau announced increased market monitoring and called on consumers to remain vigilant against the sale of expired food.
