NBS dumped and burned a pile of expired goods on 21.07.2023/Courtesy photO

Officials from the National Bureau of Standards have called on government institutions and the private sector to work collectively in ensuring that citizens are protected from purchasing unhealthy food from the markets.

The remarks came as the Bureau of Standards on Thursday confiscated and burned more than 10 tons of expired food items collected from various markets across the national capital, Juba.

The items burnt this week on Thursday were collected from shops and stores in Juba, Munuki, Kator, and Konyo-Konyo markets last month.

These include wheat flour, sugar, powdered milk, oil, and soap among others.

Dr Rachel Benjamin Bol who is the Head of the Marketing Department in The National Bureau of Standards said some of the impounded and torched food items were poorly stored and risked poisoning the citizens.

” Due to these expired materials and some other damages due to improper storage we collected them from the markets, and today [Thursday we have brought them here for burning,” said Mrs Benjamin.

Explaining the decision to burn the expired items, the official said this was done “Because improper storage may cause poisoning to citizens if they eat these products…”

For her part, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Standards Mary Gordon Muortat urged consumers to be cautious when purchasing goods from traders.

This is done by checking the expiry date of the food items including the odor, flavor, or texture.

Meanwhile, the Director of Quality Assurance, Glory Nyoka has called on government institutions, the private sector, and the citizens to work together in protecting the health.

“As you know, it’s our mandate to protect our consumers but it’s still a collective responsibility as the National Bureau of Standards and other government institutions and the private sector and even individuals to work together and make sure that what we are consuming is healthy,” she said.

This come nearly two months after the National Bureau of Standard impounded  63 three trucks loaded with maize grains after samples were taken from the items tested for high aflatoxin.