SOME Bulawayo residents have urged the government to ban imported chicken following revelations that embalming chemicals used to preserve human corpses were used to prevent the birds from going bad.
MTHANDAZO NYONI OWN CORRESPONDENT
Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) deputy president Davison Norupiri made the revelations in Parliament on Tuesday that Zimbabwe food outlets are selling Brazilian chicken imports preserved with embalming chemicals normally used to preserve human corpses.
Norupiri reportedly said there was need to protect and promote local products as imports were forcing consumers to buy sub-standard products some of which were preserved using unorthodox means.
People who spoke to Southern Eye in Bulawayo on Wednesday called for an immediate ban on all chicken imports for health reasons.
“The government should ban these chickens because the chemicals used are not meant for human consumption,” Mthokozisi Mpande of Luveve suburb said.
“The government should incentivise local chicken breeders so they produce better quality chicken for the market.
“The government should also be blamed for not preventing the birds from entering the market and the minister concerned should be fired.
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“This shows that the government is very irresponsible,” Mpande said.
He said there must be free medical check-ups for all people who suspect they consumed the Brazilian chicken.
Eunice Maphosa of Emakhandeni said she was at a loss for words to describe this sickening revelation.
Maphosa said if the government was quick to ban importation of diprosone cream, she could not understand why the same haste is not being used to ban the embalmed chicken from flooding the local market.
Diprosone is a skin lightening cream.
“It’s a shame and sign of incompetence that the government is failing to control its market.
“It is high time the minister concerned was fired for such blunders,” Maphosa said.
Marshal Mpofu of Mpopoma said the government should revive industries to avoid such highly offensive food imports.
“This comes as a result of failure of boosting our industries. Our people deserve the best.
“If industries were fully functional, we would not be having such disgusting experiments being dumped in our market as food,” Mpofu said.
Edwin Dube from Magwegwe said these imports were like food poisoning.
“This is pure food poisoning and it will be a dereliction of duty for the government not to take decisive action,” Dube said.
Peter Nyoni of Lobengula West said such chemicals obviously had side effects for those who consume the affected chickens. Nyoni said the embalming was tantamount to using detergents when cooking food.
