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OpenConsumers Question SAZ Report On Contaminated Mealie Meal
Consumers have raised concerns about a report from the Standard Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) that cleared several mealie meal brands of containing the herbicide glyphosate, arguing that the testing process did not include them.
Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide known for its effectiveness in killing weeds and grasses, but the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies it as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
In response to allegations that local grain millers were selling products with high concentrations of glyphosate, the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) commissioned SAZ to test certain grain products.
According to SAZ, the analysis of six mealie meal samples revealed glyphosate levels below 0.5 parts per million, indicating that the products are safe for human consumption.
However, in an interview with NewsDay, human rights advocate Abigale Mupambi said the investigation should have included consumer input, as they are the most affected. She said:
Going forward, I think the issue that has been coming about is to say they did it probably without the biggest constituents, which are the consumers.
That’s my point of departure to say. At this juncture, we would have expected the Consumer Council, consumers to be on board so that this issue is resolved once and for all in terms of consensus.
But basically, the fact that the consumers are aggrieved, consumers are panicking, consumers are involved.
I think since they have made out a call to say we are ready, the consumers and the individuals, definitely the Zimbabweans, would be interested to see how we zero in on this issue and draw a conclusion, a reasonable appreciation of each other between suppliers and consumers.
However, Danmore Mabambe, the technical services director at SAZ, said it is not unusual to detect traces of glyphosate in grain, given its widespread use as both a pesticide and herbicide. Said Mabambe:
It is used to treat weeds during the pre-planting process. So yes, you can expect to find traces because they use it as a herbicide. But it now comes down to what levels of the traces are there in the final product.
If one wants us to redo them (tests) in your presence, we felt that legally we were not compelled to do this.
But, from a peer-acquainted perspective, we need to run some.But, if there are people who want to say, this is random, we can start this afternoon. We’ll pay for that.
Meanwhile, the IARC also cited a possible link between long-term, high-level exposure to glyphosate and an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), a type of blood cancer. However, it stated that the evidence is “limited.”
In 2019, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, also concluded that using glyphosate may carry a potential cancer risk.
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