THE Zanzibar Food and Drugs Board on Tuesday confirmed that the condemned 234 tones of rice have been re-exported to Pakistan, the country of origin.
“My office in collaboration with the customs and security officers made sure that the rice was loaded in MV Nicolas Delmas ready for re-exportation to the country of origin, Pakistan,” said Mr Haji Ameir Bonde, Head of Laboratory services of the board.
The rice was confiscated in August and according to lab tests proved that it was unfit for human consumption, “the first lot of the rice had expired and the rest had been contaminated.”
He said his office and other authorities worked together to make sure that the rice was shipped back to Pakistan to prevent it from penetrating the local market.
Officers at the Malindi port told the 'Daily News' that the condemned rice was packed in containers under close supervision of responsible authorities.
The Consumer Protection, Medicines and Cosmetics Board Chairperson, Dr Burhan Simai, announced the confiscation of the rice, samples of which were later taken for laboratory tests before declaring it unfit for human consumption.
There has been frequent reports about importation and selling of expired and substandard rice in Zanzibar, prompting the new Minister of Trade, Industry and Marketing, Mr Nassor Mazrui vowing, to end the menace.
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