Rwanda reportedly bans sale of unrefrigerated meat

Rwandan authorities have from Tuesday banned traders from selling meat that has not been refrigerated for at least 24 hours, according to a report.

The National Agency for Quality Control, Competition and Consumer Protection (Rica) says fresh meat that has not been refrigerated contains organisms that may transmit diseases to consumers.

"The consequences of eating without cooling in the refrigerator, is that there are still diseases in the tissues of the animal's body that have not died," Mbabazi Olivier, a Rica veterinarian, told Kigali Today news website.

Keeping food in the refrigerator does not kill micro-organisms, according to experts, but slows bacterial growth and food can be kept for longer before spoiling.

Some local traders, however, said the order would cause them losses because some customers prefer freshly slaughtered meat, the website said.