TFDA has destroyed fake mineral water and other products in Iringa

By Friday Simbaya,
Iringa

TANZANIA Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) in Iringa Municipal Council have conducted crackdown and intercepted various items and later one destroyed at the dump site at Kihesa Kilolo for allegedly to be unfit for human consumption including bottled water and tined milk from South Africa.

The TFDA in collaboration with municipal health department had seized and destroy about 367 cartoons of bottled water with the street value of 765,100/- from MajiAfrica Tanzathai Co. Ltd-Iringa, a number of tins of infant milk called S26 believed have some melamine, fake women sanitary pads called ‘Always’ and some cosmetics for hip lifting used to enlarge hips.

According to Iringa Municipal TFDA coordinator, Ms Deodata Rukupwa, who is also Municipal Health Officer, have seized the cartoons of bottled water containing some white particles inside from water wholesalers, sanitary pads, infant formula milk from SA and some fake medicated soaps.

Although she could not prove scientifically what those white particles inside the bottled water where, but said the white particles might be dangerous to consumers' health, it was a reaction after the public outcry that the water was impure.

She added that the S26 milk was seized last year following the directive from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare which was on 27/08/2009, that imported milk had some problems.

Responding to the allegations, MajiAfrica company director, Maiko Fliakos, said his company had discovered that there are white particles in the water (bottled Maji Africa).

“We have informed all our customers and distributors that they should return all water with production date 19/04/2010 to 24/04/2010. And we will replace it. We have tested this water at the water quality laboratory, Ministry of water and results show that it is calcium which is bonding. The results show that there is no dirty or contamination of water,” MajiAfrica director told the Guardian during an exclusive interview.

He told the reporter that they use no chemicals in the water but it is only passed through deionizers to control the calcium bonding; unfortunately it seems that one of those machines failed, thus the calcium problem.

“We have stopped the deionizer with problem and already the spares from Germany have come so that it can regenerate. We are sure that our water is not dirty and that it is fit for human consumption. The problem is that because of the calcium particles it is assumed dirty”

Calcium is a key component in good healthy water. Calcium is also one of the principle elements making up the earth's crust.
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