According to unconfirmed rumours doing rounds, some unscrupulous butcheries seem to be treating their meat with chemicals in order to prevent it from going bad. This prevents the meat from going bad, however, it makes the meat unfit for human consumption.

While this are just rumours in Harare and other towns according to reports in Masvingo Open Council, the city’s council is actually in the process of investigating a named retailer which is accused of actually doing that although investigations are still ongoing.

We cannot say much or which particular chemical was used at the moment as investigations are still going on but our health inspectors visited the premises soon after receiving the complaint from a resident who said they had just bought some chicken cuts at the outlet.
The argument is that the chicken was not attracting flies after news reports went around discouraging people not to buy meat which does not attract flies.
We immediately dispatched a team which has roped in experts from the ministry of health as well as those from the veterinary department and the investigation is still going on,
Masvingo Acting Chief Environmental Health Officer, Ngonidzashae Mapamula

Residents have been warned to buy meat from unlicensed vendors in general as these are more likely to cut corners and do things such as lace meat with chemicals. According to some experts, meat laced with chemicals does not attract flies and thus people shouldn’t buy meat that flies seem to be shunning.