Mozambique’s National Institute of Standardisation and Quality (INNOQ) announced on Thursday (22) a strengthening of bread weight inspections across the country, warning that production and retail establishments that fail to comply with legal standards will face administrative sanctions.

The measure aims to ensure compliance with metrological legislation, protect consumers, and guarantee greater transparency in the sale of one of the country’s most widely consumed food products, according to information relayed by Lusa.

According to a statement issued by the institution, operators in the bakery sector must ensure that bread is produced and sold in accordance with legally established nominal weights, avoiding irregularities that could harm consumers. INNOQ has also determined that all bread retail establishments must display, in clearly visible locations, tables showing the respective weights and prices, allowing buyers to know the characteristics of the product before making a purchase.

A further requirement concerns the availability of duly verified scales bearing a valid metrological verification mark. These instruments must be installed in accessible locations so that consumers can confirm the weight of bread they have purchased.

To ensure compliance with these provisions, the institute intends to intensify metrological control and inspection operations at production units and points of sale throughout the national territory. “Non-compliance with applicable legal provisions may lead to the adoption of administrative and sanctioning measures provided for under current legislation,” INNOQ warned in the statement.

The institution considers that strengthened inspections will help improve the transparency of commercial transactions and reinforce consumer confidence in the domestic market. The announced inspections fall within the provisions of the Pre-measured Products Regulation, approved by Ministerial Diploma No. 141/2013 of 23 September, and the rules established by Ministerial Diploma No. 36/2016 of 6 June, which govern aspects related to the nominal weights of bread sold on the national market.

The tightening of controls comes in a context in which the bakery sector has already been subject to similar interventions. In October 2021, for example, INNOQ warned 12 bakeries in the city and province of Maputo for selling bread below the recommended weight and for using scales without the required metrological verification.