CATHERINE MUMBA, Lusaka
THE Zambia Weights and Measures Agency (ZWMA) has seized 650 under-filled containers of cooking oil from a named company in Lusaka.

This happened after a ZWMA team of inspectors carried out a random check at the named company’s manufacturing plant where 650 containers of cooking oil were subjected to a test.
ZWMA public relations officer Mutale Chileshe said in a statement that the sampled products consisted of 125 containers with a capacity of 500 millilitres each, 125 of 750 millilitres, 125 by two litres, 125 of 2.5 litres, 50 of five litres, 50 of 10 litres, and 50 of 20 litre containers of cooking oil.
“The 650 containers of cooking oil all failed the test as they were all under-filled. This is contrary to the Weights and Measures Act CAP 403 of the Laws of Zambia,” he said.
Mr Chileshe said the seized under-filled containers of cooking oil will be taken to the courts of law to be disposed of.
He said attributed the under-filling of the oil containers to the use of unverified equipment such as automatic fillers, which the agency cautioned the owner against using.
“Going by the results of the inspection, the owner was issued with an order of restraint of sale for the remaining batches of the product. The agency advised the owner to re-package all the cooking oil in the manufacturing plant before it could be released to the public for consumption,” Mr Chileshe said.
He said the owner was also summoned to ZWMA headquarters for a hearing.
Mr Chileshe urged members of the public to be vigilant and report any suspicion of incorrect quantities of pre-packaged products sold on the market.
“You are advised to look out for a Zambia Weights and Measures Agency sticker on weighing and measuring instruments such as scales in butcheries and bakeries and fuel dispensers at filling stations,” he said.