Authorities have intensified investigations following the recall of a contaminated batch of Citro Soda, raising fresh concerns about the safety of medicines circulating on Zimbabwe’s market.
The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe said the recall has triggered wider checks across the pharmaceutical supply chain amid indications that some of the affected product may already have reached consumers.
MCAZ Director-General Richard Tendai Rukwata said the regulator is treating the matter as urgent, warning that any breach in medicine quality represents a direct public health risk.
Preliminary findings, he said, pointed to contamination by foreign material — a development the authority considers serious enough to warrant expanded surveillance and verification measures.
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“We are working closely with distributors and regional regulatory counterparts to determine the full extent of distribution and to ensure all affected units are accounted for,” Rukwata said.
Citro Soda is widely used to relieve indigestion and acidity, making the recall particularly significant given its common household use. Health officials warned that contaminated medication could pose unintended health risks, especially to patients with underlying medical conditions.
Pharmacies, wholesalers and healthcare institutions have been instructed to immediately withdraw the affected batch from circulation, while members of the public who may have purchased the product have been urged to return it to their point of sale.
The incident has renewed scrutiny of medicine quality controls and strengthened calls for tighter enforcement within Zimbabwe’s pharmaceutical regulatory framework.
Rukwata said the authority will scale up inspections and compliance monitoring across the sector, stressing that safeguarding public confidence in the medicines supply chain remains a national priority.
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