Businessman charged for selling expired, foreign-labelled items

The Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) has filed charges against a businessman after seizing several expired and foreign-labelled items at his business.
According to the Department, it recently seized 63 tins of “Anglo Corn Beef” labelled in a foreign language, and during this exercise has encountered expired items at the premise of the proprietor. However, the GA-FDD did not revealed the name of the businessman.
The Department’s prosecutor on Thursday filed criminal charges against the proprietor for “knowingly and deliberately offering for sale expired and foreign-labelled items.”
The Department has reiterated calls to all consumers to carefully examine all food products before making purchases, to ensure that these foods are labelled in English and
contain all the required labelling information, which includes brand name, common name, net contents, list of ingredients, storage instructions, name and address of manufacturer or person preparing the food, and its country of origin, expiry and manufacture dates.
The GA-FDD disclosed that it has had cause to refuse entry to containers of food bringing in foreign labelled “Ovaltine” from Vietnam on May 10 last, and “Confectionery” from China on June 6th that were labelled in a foreign language, had no address of manufacturer, and were without date marks.
“Wholesaler [and] retailers also have a legal responsibility to ensure that wholesome foods reach the consumers, and to ensure that all labels are in English. The Department is calling on these proprietors to adhere to the Food and Drugs Regulation or face prosecution,” the Department said in a statement.
Under Regulation No. 18 of the Food & Drugs Act (Chapter 34:03) of the Laws of Guyana and the Food & Drugs Regulations No. 10 of 1977 of Guyana, it is a requirement for all foods, drugs,
cosmetics and medical devices that are imported for sale or use in Guyana to have labels that are in English and comply with the requirements of Part II Section 18 (1) (2) which states the necessary information that the label should carry.
However, the GA-FDD pointed out that it has been observed that there are numerous foreign labelled food items being offered for sale on the local market.
“It is essential that regulated products be labeled in English so persons offering these products for sale and those using them can clearly understand important information, such as their direction for use, expiry date, ingredients, name [and] address of manufacturer, storage condition and necessary precautions. This enables consumers or users to make informed choices on products,” the Department emphasised.