By Staff Writer
The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has announced that laboratory tests carried out on products made by its members confirmed that they do not contain cancer-causing chemicals as alleged by activist Rutendo Matinyarare.
Addressing journalists in Harare on Monday GMAZ chairperson, Tafadzwa Musarara urged the public not to panic further promising to bring to task all those who have been peddling falsehoods against its members.
Investigations by the association followed allegations by Matinyarare who said that maize meal that is being imported and processed by GMAZ members carries cancer causing contaminants, in particular, glyphosate.
โSince we commenced imports in October of 2023 no harmful content of Glyphosate or any other material was dictated by our internal labs,โ Musarara said.
โAll local millers are obtaining maize from the same silos which is milled to produce the same brands that are sold nationwide in all retail shops.
โWe are obtaining maize from silos that also supply to South African millers and export to Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia.
โNo case of glyphosate harmful content presence has been reported in those countries,โ Musrara added.
Musrara said National Foods, Blue Ribbon and other millers whose brands โwere falselyโ accused of containing harmful glyphosate content are members of GMAZ.
โThe Association will stand and fall with them, in defending their legal commercial activities.
โWe want to assure the market that Zimbabwe is food secure with supplies way exceeding demand. The food is safe, healthy and nutritious. Consumers are free to buy as much quantities as they desire and afford,โ he said.
Musarara also said they have instructed their legal team with instructions to obtain โall the necessary relief from the courts against all persons who have been peddling false and malicious information against our membersโ brands.โ
He said consumers are free to bring their samples for testing adding that GMAZ will fund the process.
The Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) was tasked to do the laboratory tests.
SAZ director Technical Services Danmore Mabambe said six samples of mealie meal from brands including Ngwerewere Super refined meal, Red Seal Super roller meal, Sunrise Super Roller meal, Mega Roller meal, Pearlenta and Chibataura Roller meal were analysed.
โIn all the analyzed samples, the levels of glyphosate were below 0.5 parts per million (ppm) which is the Limit of Detection for the method of test.
โThis means that the detected levels are below the maximum residue limits and the analyzed mealie meal samples are safe for consumption,โ he said.
