ZABS to enhance sensitisation

The Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) will enhance its sensitization program to educate the public on the advantages and disadvantages of counterfeit products flooding the Zambian market.

Recently, there has been an influx of counterfeit products on the Zambian market such as sanitary towels and condoms.
ZABS director Manuel Mutale says the country should be aware that not all counterfeit products are a threat to health of the consumers.
In an interview in Lusaka, Mr Mutale said despite some products being counterfeit, they are safe because they meet the standards set by ZABS.

“We will educate the public on the difference between counterfeit products and original products. Some counterfeit products are very safe because they meet the standards set by ZABS.

“A product can be a counterfeit, but when you take it to the lab for testing you will find that the results of that particular product show that it is very safe to human health or for consumption,” he said.

He said ZABS will take the recent counterfeit products that were confiscated on the market by the police and the condoms for lab testing just to verify if they are a threat to human health.

Mr Mutale called on manufacturers to participate in the fight against the influx of counterfeit products, especially that it is their businesses that are mostly at risk.

He said some counterfeit products are manufactured using the correct standards, adding that manufacturers should always be on the look-out to prevent losses because of the influx of counterfeit products.