UNBS Urges Supermarkets to Stock Only Certified and Inspected Commodities

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has called on supermarket owners to ensure their outlets stock only certified locally manufactured commodities and inspected imported goods. This initiative aims to combat substandard products and enhance consumer protection.

This directive aligns with UNBS's mission to facilitate trade, enforce standards, and safeguard public health, safety, and the environment from hazardous and substandard items.

To support this mission, UNBS has introduced the Digital Conformity Marking (DCM) programme. This programme provides a track-and-trace mechanism for consumers, supermarkets, and other retail outlets to distinguish between genuinely certified and substandard products. The programme's details were shared during a stakeholder engagement session with supermarket owners and operators in the central region, held at UNBS's headquarters in Bweyogerere.

“Today's primary focus is the Digital Conformity Marking programme. We've introduced technology that allows the public to use their phones to verify if a product is genuinely certified by UNBS. As supermarket owners, it's your responsibility to ensure that all products on your shelves are certified and safe for consumers,” said Patricia Bageine Ejalu, Deputy Executive Director in charge of Standards at UNBS.

The DCM programme involves issuing Digital Conformity Marks/Stamps to certified products, providing consumers with proof that the items meet applicable standards and are of high quality. “These stamps contain information such as product details, the standard under which it is assessed, certification date, batch number, manufacturer’s name, and more. Supermarket owners, consumers, and the public can use the Kakasa App to scan these stamps and verify product certification,” added Phillip Kahuma, Acting Manager of Certification at UNBS.

Currently, the DCM programme covers three commodity categories: construction materials, electrical products, and cosmetics. Each digital conformity mark costs UGX 21 and is expected to lower business costs, particularly for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), as manufacturers can order a number of marks matching their production volume.

During the meeting, supermarket owners were also advised to avoid stocking expired products and altering expiry dates.

“We will not negotiate on the issue of expired goods on supermarket shelves. They are harmful to public health. Remove them before UNBS does. Changing expiry dates to extend shelf life is illegal and punishable by law. If you wouldn’t buy expired products for your family, don’t leave them for other families to buy,” warned Daniel Arorwa, Manager of Market Surveillance at UNBS.

Supermarket owners were encouraged to report any dealers of substandard products to UNBS using the toll-free lines 0800133133 / 0800233233.

UNBS remains committed to its mandate of consumer protection and fair trade facilitation.