Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has closed down the production facility belonging to Mbogo Quality Cuts Limited located in Bulenga, due to poor hygienic conditions.
Mbogo Quality Cuts processes the ‘Apha Special’ brand of sausages.
UNBS said in a statement released on Friday that the premises were closed after receiving a complaint from a consumer that the conditions under which meet was being processed did not meet standards for good hygiene standards.
This, according to UNBS, contravenes with the standard for good manufacturing and hygienic practices.
Upon inspection of the premises, the UNBS Surveillance team established that indeed the hygienic conditions at the production facility were contrary to the specifications of Code of practice for Hygiene in Food and Drink Manufacturing Industry (US 28 EAS 39: 2002) and specifications for beef sausages (US 739:2012).
The UNBS Inspection report reveals that the general hygiene of the production facility was very poor with moulds on the walls, rotten meat which was turning green was kept inside non-functioning deep freezers and fridges.
“There were traces of meat all over the floor, poor drainage system with no water, dirty drums and buckets which were stained were among the production equipment used. As a result, the appalling unhygienic conditions attracted flies all over the production area and outside the factory,” the standards body said in a statement.
The same statement reveals that the inspectors from UNBS “did not find records of medical examination reports of workers for their fitness to handle food as per the requirements of the standard”.
Similarly, the inspectors did not find evidence of a hand washing facility and foot bath to the entrance of the production area.
The section where the sausages are produced was also found not to have demarcations indicating the different sections to avoid cross contamination.
The company lacked records of quality monitoring undertaken during the production process and it did not have test reports from UNBS and other accredited external laboratories.
UNBS further reported that the general structure setup and ventilation of the factory was very poor in addition to filthy and smelly toilets.