Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS)

Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) has been urged to put more efforts in conducting time to time inspections especially in the food and cosmetics premises in an effort to protect consumers’ health from using low quality and expired products.

The Acting Executive Director, Kaliua District in Tabora Region Mr Gibson Milambo made the remarks over the weekend during the public meeting in the district.

He said it’s true that the standard authority has been undertaking obligation of protecting health of the customers by ensuring that only valid products remain the markets but more efforts are needed to conduct impromptu inspections to remove unwanted products from markets.

“You are doing a good job….I would like to ask you (TBS) to continue conducting regular inspections especially in foods and cosmetics premises and be able to catch low quality products," said Mr Milambo.

At the gathering, TBS managed to continue with public education programme on the importance of checking products validity to enable and protect buyers from consuming expired goods.
Through this campaign which was extended to numerous districts including Igunga, Kaliua, Sikonge, Uyui, and Tabora, TBS managed to reach 5,615 citizens among them, 215 were SMEs.

Speaking during the campaign, TBS Public Relations and Marketing Manager, Ms Gladness Kaseka said the reason for undertaking the public education programme is to create awareness on the importance of checking the product validity before purchasing.

"The awareness we are providing to the public will help the citizens to properly make good selection of products in markets," said Ms Kaseka.

On his Part, the TBS Inspector, Magesa Mwizarubi has insisted the SMEs to buy and sell only products that have and meet the required quality standard and he also advised the foods and cosmetics dealers to register their business premises to avoid disturbances.

Mr Magesa explained to the public on the need to understand the importance of standards in their lives as well as to entrepreneurs that the certification and registration services are offered free of charge.

He also encouraged public to provide information immediately to TBS in case they meet incidences of counterfeit and expiry goods in the markets.