The National Milling Company of Guyana Inc. (Namilco) has sounded an alarm over packaged flour that is being sold without all of the required labelling, while calling on the Government Analyst Food and Drug Depart-ment to ensure proper food safety requirements.
When contacted, Food and Drug Department Director Marlon Cole told Stabroek News that while the matter was not reported to the department as yet, it will be investigated.
In a press release appearing in yesterday’s edition of the Guyana Chronicle newspaper, Namilco wrote that the company recently spotted a product labelled “All Purpose Flour” packaged in Guyana, being sold in 1 and 2kg packets without the country of origin on the packages. The release stated that the product is not Namilco’s, while pointing out that by stating the country of origin, it will be clear to the consumer that he/she is buying a product that originated from another country.
In addition, the company called on the Food and Drug Department to ensure proper safety requirements are followed for the repackaging of flour and that the labelling requirements are in adherence to the Guyana standards.
Cole said that the repackaging of food items, such as flour, sugar and milk, should not be done without a licence and proper facility.
Moreover, he said that the repackaged products are required to carry labels.
He further noted that the department has to tackle the issue of persons or businesses repackaging products without labels, licence and facilities from a policy level that he opined is already in the constitution.
“We plan to start sensitising the public once more” about the questionable products and what they need to look for, Cole said, while adding that the department will be launching a strategy to tackle unlabeled products. He mentioned that the strategy includes public awareness, consultations and the enforcement of the laws by businesses repackaging products.
He noted that sometime back a business in Linden had its licence revoked after it was reported to the department that it was not adhering to the laws governing the repackaging of food. However, he said that the business, after working with the department and conforming to the rules, had its licence granted again.
Namilco added in the release, “We are the only flour mill in Guyana and we sell all of our flour and flour mixes in properly labelled packaging under the “THUNDERBOLT and MAID MARIAN Brands.” Moreover, Namilco mentioned that no one is allowed to package its flour under any other brand name and as such, “we are making the public aware that the contents in these packages are not from Namilco and we do not know the source.”
Namilco declared that it will not be liable for any dissatisfaction or injury as a result of consuming any other flour brand.
