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The Democratic Republic of Congo has banned eight brands of maize meal produced in Zambia from being imported into its territory until further notice. These are Africa Milling, Roll and Breakfast, Farm Feed Super Dog Meal, Continental Milling, Shabco Milling, Girad Milling, Busu Milling and Star Milling.
The Ministry of Foreign Trade announced the news in a press release issued on August 25, suspecting that the above-mentioned flour brands contained aflatoxin.
According to authorities, several agencies, including the General Directorate of Customs (DGDA), the Office de Congolese Control (OCC) and the national police, have been authorized to take restrictive measures to protect the population from the health risks of the toxin.
«These measures include a nationwide ban on the importation, consumption, marketing and distribution of the above brands of maize flour; tracking the presence of these products and their withdrawal from the national trade circulation and sanctions against all violators.», we can read in the press release. It is worth noting that aflatoxins, even in low doses, can exacerbate malnutrition, stunt growth in children, weaken the immune system or cause liver cancer.
A new blow to the trade relationship between the two countries?
The news that Zambian flour is contaminated with aflatoxin may once again bring challenges to the resumption of border trade between the two countries.
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia have just emerged from a trade dispute that took place earlier this month. In fact, the southern African country announced on August 10 that it would close its border posts in response to the decision of the Congolese authorities to ban the import of soft drinks and beer.
However, the border was reopened on August 13, a day after successful talks between the two delegations led by the Congolese minister of foreign trade and the Zambian minister of industry.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, about 70 percent of maize meal consumed in the country’s southern provinces of Haut-Katanga, Lualaba and Tanganyika comes from Zambia, according to the Central Bank of Congo (BCC).
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