Campaign to stamp out expired good launched

A campaign to inspect local vendors, outlets and supermarkets has commenced with the aim of preventing the ongoing epidemic of expired products from entering many Guyanese households.
This was revealed by the Chief Meat and Food Inspector of the Food Safety Department (FSD), Onika Blackman, who noted that many persons are unaware of the dangers that expired food items can cause to humans once consumed.
She noted that in many instances, vendors are warned that expired products are not to be sold but many are still found with these items.
“If this is what we need to do, have an ongoing campaigns to ensure that these items are not being peddled on the marketplaces, well this is where we’ll have to go.”
On Thursday, stalls at the Stabroek Bazaar were raided in search for expired products from officials of the FSD. In this scenario, many vendors were found in possession of goods that are deemed unfit for consumption as they would have surpassed the expiry date.
The items were seized and destroyed. In some cases, the consumer information was printed in a different language while in others, the dates were removed. The expiry of some products dated back to 2017.
“What happened is that at the time that we did our inspection, all the items that were found to be expired were removed from the premises and destroyed. The reason for this is because we don’t want expired items on the marketplace,” Blackman said.
On the side of the consumers, many cannot afford to buy goods at regular prices hence they tend to purchase expired products which are sold at a lower cost.
Blackman explained that in time to come, the Department is looking to conduct searches in larger outlets where the vendors might be obtaining their goods.
“This is going to be extended not only to the bazaar that we did yesterday (Thursday). The exercise is going to be extended to all the other markets and other associated outlets that will be dealing with these particular items and we’ll be checking to ensure that no expired goods are on sale.”
Furthermore, those that were found guilty of the offence were not required to face any charges. However, it is something that will be considered to ensure that expired products are not sold on the markets.
Consumers are also advised to read the labels of items before purchasing and to be aware of expiry dates and the hazards that can be caused from its consumptions.
“What I’d like to urge members of the public is that expired products being sold presently might be cheaper but in the long run, it can be more costly. When you purchase expired goods, there is no guarantee of what it is you’re going to actually be consuming,” the Chief Meat and Food Officer stated.
The public is also advised to notify the Department of any cases where expired products are sold so that there can be some intervention to prevent the scourge of selling expired products.