Contaminated yogurt: RBS could have done better

Editor,I wish to react to the article, “Banned milk products raise concern among consumers” (The New Times, January 7).

Tuesday, January 07, 2014

Editor,I wish to react to the article, "Banned milk products raise concern among consumers” (The New Times, January 7).I think that Rwanda Bureau of Standards (RBS) should have professionally advised the mentioned milk plants to withdraw their products without alarming the public, and giving such negative publicity to the companies.If it’s a minor issue found in just a batch of products, then why this alarm? How will an entrepreneur cover such a huge loss? How will they get back to the market? Will RBS help in clearing the name of these companies when the issues are resolved?I am in the business of promoting SMEs and I believe there are better methods than what RBS applied. Entrepreneurs should also invest in quality management and run frequent tests of their products. Standards shouldn’t be compromised; quality is money and it makes your products stand out.Livingstone, Rwanda********************The milk processors should be advised on quality management tools, which prevent food contamination. HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) is one of them. I find it inappropriate for RBS to release the names of the concerned companies in public.I wonder how they are going to recover from this mess because their names have been tarnished.James Munanura, Makerere University Kampala, Uganda