FOOD, COSMETICS FACE TOUGHER RULES




ZCSA consults stakeholders on 42 proposed compulsory standards, with new rules expected to take effect in 2027

By Francis Maingaila ❤️

Lusaka, Zambia24 — 18-10-2026 — The Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA) is planning to introduce 42 additional compulsory standards to ensure that products sold on the Zambian market meet the required safety and quality standards.

ZCSA Public Relations Officer Onishias Maamba told Zambia24 in a statement that the move was intended to protect consumers from unsafe products, safeguard public health and reduce harm to the environment.

Maamba said the agency had completed drafting the proposed standards and was consulting stakeholders in the public and private sectors before they were adopted.

He said the proposed standards covered chemicals, food products, beverages, cigarettes, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), cosmetic creams, lotions and skin-care gels, disposable and reusable sanitary pads, and maize bran, among other products.

Maamba said the consultations would give stakeholders an opportunity to comment on the proposed standards and how they would be put into effect.

He said ZCSA had also consulted the Business Regulatory Review Agency (BRRA) on conducting Regulatory Impact Assessments for all 42 proposed standards.

Maamba said the process was expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with the new standards scheduled to take effect in the second quarter of 2027.

He said the proposed standards followed the introduction of 41 compulsory standards in 2025 under Statutory Instrument No. 20 of 2025. Those standards covered products such as packaging materials, fertilisers, fish feed, lubricants, fuels and construction materials.

Maamba said the 2025 standards increased the number of products covered by compulsory standards by 67 per cent.

He said ZCSA currently regulated 102 imported and locally manufactured products, including food, beverages, chemicals, household electrical appliances, fertilisers, fuel, cement, used motor vehicles and used textile products.

ZCSA operates under the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry and was established under the Compulsory Standards Act, Chapter 422 of the Laws of Zambia, to administer and enforce compulsory standards.


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