Shalina Pharmaceuticals Zambia Limited has recalled its batches of Cevite Vitamin C from the market for failing to meet the prescribed quality standards.

The company, which sells its products here in Malawi and other countries, has advised people to stop consuming Vitamin C whose batch numbers are 0371572 and 0372251.

“On 3rd February 2021, the Competition and Fair Trading Commission carried out inspections in the cities of Lilongwe and Blantyre to assess the availability of the recalled product on the market.

“The inspectors found that the recalled batches of Cevite Vitamin C (batch numbers 0371572 and 0372251) were available in some pharmacies in the city of Lilongwe.

“The pharmacies concerned were duly ordered to remove the said product from their shelves,” CFTC Executive Director James Kaphale, said in a statement.

In an interview with YFM, Public Relations Officer for Competition and Fair Trading Commission (CFTC) Innocent Helema has asked all consumers who may have purchased the recalled products to immediately return them to the source pharmacy or suppliers for proper disposition.

Helema added that all pharmacies who have stocks of the recalled product to immediately stop selling it and provide a full refund to consumers who bought them.

“We are conducting inspection, we started yesterday in Lilongwe and Blantyre, and if traders won`t comply with this then we will take necessary action, we will actually open cases and conduct investigations on them,” said Helema.

CFTC is a government agency mandated to regulate, monitor, control and prevent acts or behaviour which are likely to adversely affect competition and fair trading in Malawi.

Being a statutory body, the Commission was established to enforce the Competition and Fair Trading Act; and the Consumer Protection Act in the country.