Some 2000 cases of tuna being imported from China were refused entry into Guyana by the Government Analyst Food and Drugs Department.
According to reports, the containers were labelled “BUIWICK” instead of “BRUNSWICK” and the exact address of the manufacturer in the country of origin was not stated.
The fake “Buiwick” Tuna, The real “Brunswick” Tuna
The actions were taken by the Department after they were informed by an inspector’s report of the issue.
The department refused the cartons on the basis of the Laws of Guyana Food and Drugs Act, Chapter 34:03 part (2) section (6) which prohibits import if it is false, misleading, and deceptive.
In addition, the product’s label was found to be inadequate according to the Food and Drug Regulation of 1977, Regulation 18 part (2) (a) clause (3) – Labels. The Department said it has since written to the Commissioner of Customs to suspend the processing of documents of the known agency as this “third party” deliberately facilitates the importation of products into Guyana which are substandard and/or are with inadequate labels.
However, as this is not the first incident of such, the Department will be notify the regulatory agency of the People’s Republic of China on their findings and action, because official documentation with attestation was used to facilitate the shipment of falsely labelled tuna to Guyana.
Consumers are also being warned to always take a second look at labels, to ensure the ‘country of origin’ and the exact name and address of manufacturers are clearly stated.
