Masvingo City Council last Friday destroyed 1, 6 tonnes of chicken which entered the country illegally, a council spokesperson has said.

The consignment which was destined for Harare was intercepted 30km from Masvingo near Mushagashe Training Center along Masvingo-Harare Road.

According to the council spokesperson, the meat had no veterinary clearances and documentation and was therefore deemed unsafe for human consumption. The chicken was burnt at Cambria Landfill under strict supervision.

Huge chicken chunks coming from South Africa believed to be GMOS and much cheaper than local meat is popular with local restaurants, backyard food outlets and fast-food chains.

“The truck was not refrigerated. The meat was hard frozen and wrapped in plastics. The packaging, transportation and labelling violate the Food Standards Act and we don’t know what the meat was exposed to,” said a source.

The action was taken in line with the Public Health Act.

“Council urges residents and vendors to only source meat from licensed and inspected suppliers to ensure community safety and prevent the spread of diseases,” said Ashleigh Jinjika.

Source: Mirror