By 
Bread has come under scrutiny from the Zambia Metrology Agency (ZMA) following a surge in complaints over underweight loaves and unclear labelling, prompting stepped-up enforcement and nationwide inspections.
During the agency’s 2025 verification exercise, bread recorded a compliance level of just 79 percent, raising concerns about consumer protection and prompting calls for corrective action.
Other products performed better, with seed products achieving 89 percent compliance, battery acid 85 percent, and tile adhesive 80 percent.
Overall, the ZMA reported conducted 76,961 statutory verifications across the country in 2025—surpassing its target of 70,834 and achieving a performance rate of 109 percent.
Speaking at the agency’s 2025 end-of-year performance review in Lusaka on Tuesday, ZMA Executive Director, Humphrey Nkobeni, said inspections would continue weekly, with public updates on high-risk products to enhance transparency and accountability.
Nkobeni revealed that recent enforcement operations had already resulted in the seizure of non-compliant bread from bakeries that failed to meet measurement requirements.
Read more: Zambia Metrology Agency to go after petroleum transporters, OMCs without compliance certificates
He noted that under the revised Weights and Measures Act, bakeries were no longer restricted to producing standard loaf sizes such as 700 grams.
Instead, they are free to produce loaves of any weight—provided the correct measurement is clearly declared on packaging or displayed on shelves.
“The most important issue is correct declaration. Whether a loaf weighs 500 grams or 700 grams, the consumer must know exactly what they are buying,” Nkobeni said.
He said ZMA had since intensified inspections across bakeries and retail outlets, while rolling out public sensitisation programmes in what it has identified as “high-risk areas.”
Weekly enforcement reports will be published to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions, Nkobeni said.
However, he emphasised that consumer involvement remained crucial.
“With bakeries spread across the country, we cannot be everywhere. We rely on the public to report suspicious products and unfair trading practices so that we can act swiftly,” he said.
The agency said it would continue cracking down on non-compliant producers as it works to protect consumers from misleading measurements and unfair trade practices.
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
Comments