Castel Malawi, MBS in bruising battle over deadly chemical in Sobo squash

Privately owned French beverages company, Castel Malawi Group has threatened to drag the Malawi Bureau of Standards  (MBS) to court unless it stops seizing Sobo squash from shops.

Castel Malawi recently apologised for using a banned chemical, tartrazine, in its Sobo

Castel Malawi managing director Gille Leclerc told a news conference on Monday that the MBS  is now on product damage campaign of Castel Malawi to promote products of its competitors.

“There are so many imported drinks with tertrazine (a banned chemical in Malawi ) in big shops yet they are not confiscated. Why target us only” said Leclerc.

Castel Malawi and MSB are engaged in a bitter and bruising battle over the former’s use of tertrazine, a deadly chemical used to colour drinks.

The company uses the chemical, also banned in most countries, to colour sobo peach and sobo squash.

Leclerc wondered why MSB certified that the sobo peach and Sobo squash in 2016 to go on the market when they knew that tertrazine was not allowed in Malawi.

“I consider this as unfair, we want clarification because the Malawi Bureau of Standards certify all our products before they go on the market,” he said.

But MBS director Devlin Chokazinga has hit back, saying Carlsberg Malawi, which formerly owned the company never used tertrazine.

He said Castel Malawi should have informed MBS if the company was adding or changing chemicals.

Chokazinga said the state standards compliance body has the mandate to protect consumers, hence its decision to remove all sobo squash from shop shelves.

The chairman of Malawi Law Society Alfred Majamanda said consumers can take to court Castel Malawi if they fall sick after taking the drinks with the banned chemical if they produce evidence that the illness is due to the tertrazine.

Experts say the chemical can cause asthma, tumour and cancer among other diseases.

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gogochalo
gogochalo
6 years ago

What about Quinoline yellow in Cocopina? It is also a banned chemical in other countries.Dzuka Malawi Dzuka!!!!

China
China
6 years ago

Mr chokazinga ndi Hulu Lani please fight these people kumapeto.Tertrazine causes thyroid tumours even cancer.Ndipo especially Kwa ana its proven to cause ADHD.Educate malawians asawapatse ana squash ameneyu

Keen Observer
Keen Observer
6 years ago

So they want to kill people? Can they do that in France?

Kuyewawa RG
Kuyewawa RG
6 years ago

Leclerc stop making noise over your own mess: just go back to the drawing board quietly & correct the situation. For your information SOBO has been a trusted partner in Malawi for years BUT you have destroyed that trust with quality issues ranging from poisonous squash thru off~taste drinks to up~side~down labels. Doubtful if indeed you’re the much touted French professional in the trade or you’re just taking Malawiàns for a ride. MBS don’t get itimidated, protect our kidneys & protect our lives.

Watematema Mutu
6 years ago

WHERE IS OUR CONSUMER WATCHDOG-CAMA? OR ELSE HE IS EITHER DOZZING OR MUNCHING!!!!

concerned citizen
concerned citizen
6 years ago

Since this company come on the scene there has been many complaints about its products . Such complaints were never there when carlsberg Malawi was producing the same products. MBS continue being on the neck of this company.This company should not take Malawians for granted. Muwafinye koopsya.

NYAKULA NDI NG'ONA
NYAKULA NDI NG'ONA
6 years ago

Stupid Alfred Majamanda, do u know pathology? Do you know how disease progression works? Osasiyira eni ake achipatala ayankhe bwanji! Today’s lifestyle can be your suffering or hospitalization of tomorrow. Once people take this tertrazine, the disease cannot start today, it may start after five years or so, that’s what MBS is protecting the people from. Do not dine on people’s health. Ngati akupatsani ndalama to defend this failing company, yosatha kuphika zakumwayi, please just shut up, iyi ndi nkhani yokhuza aMalawi not one client.

mjomba
mjomba
6 years ago

ine ndikufuna ma CSOs abwele patsogolo atiuze, koma zomwe ndapeza ine ndizakuti boma la DPP silikulandila kali konse kuchokera ku Castel-Malawi

Katong'ongo
Katong'ongo
6 years ago

Gille Leclerc, stop showcasing your bushy wits here. You mean if other companies will add faeces, you will also add faeces so long they are not identified by the sleepy MBS. You have to do the right thing and not shield your anomaly by default reference. The MBS was in a sleeping mode over the other producers/manufacturers. Castel Malawi Group is the biggest beverage producer and distributer across the country. You can imagine how many can be affected if something went amiss. You have to maintain and/or improve the standards SOBO set and not just buying the company.

CitizenX
CitizenX
6 years ago

Mbuzi, amalawi, you can kill your own brother just for money. this country deserves all the suffering and poverty, malawians are such evil people.

john telford
john telford
6 years ago
Reply to  CitizenX

Jthis poison is banned in all countries except Malawi , they know its killing people but they don’t care . If they tries to get it into UK they would be killed John Telford

naphili
naphili
6 years ago
Reply to  CitizenX

Malawians are such evil people indeed.Kumangonamizila bible amen amen koma zochitika hehe! God is wartching.You are not musking your sins by mentioning God.It is what you blazenly do that people see.Mbuzi.

Cogito Ergo Sum
Cogito Ergo Sum
6 years ago
Reply to  naphili

Castel has messed up the taste of all Coca-Cola brands including Carlsberg and MBS is doing nothing about it. Bolatu Kamuzu. Kamuzu Banda, no matter how negatively we may perceive him, he was a man of perfection. He never tolerated nonsense like this. He was protective of his people. It is absurd for a whole ‘white man” to say they are using a banned chemical because other people are doing the same. Kamuzu would have deported you straight away.

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