Falsified label sardines refused entry

Local authorities have denied clearance to some 1700 cases of sardines imported from the Peoples Republic of China after false manufacturing dates were found on the items.
The refusal of entry of the cases of 48 tins x 200 grams of Dost sardines was enforced by the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD), in collaboration with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs Department.
According to a release, samples of the imported item were retrieved by Inspectors of the Department for examination on November 29, 2016. Upon examination, it was discovered that the sardines were manufactured on the August 1, 2014 (coded information on tins) and not on the June 1, 2016, as stated on the labels.
It was reported too that the tins were already rusting and the Free Sale/Health Certificate from China FDA was inconsistent with those usually presented to the Department; the exact name and address of the manufacturer were not stated on the labels, which violates Regulation 18 of the Food and Drug Regulations.
Those were only some of the reasons that influenced the Department’s decision, the release stated. It further outlined that based on the Inspector’s report and according to the laws of Guyana’s Food and Drug Act – Chapter 34:03 Section 22 (II) and the Food and Drug Regulation 1977 Regulation 11 – consent to grant entry of the product into the country for consumers to use was not granted and the Head of the Customs Department and the Importer were officially notified, as prescribed for in the law.
The Department will now furnish a copy of the inconsistent Free Sale Certificate, which was used to facilitate the shipment into Guyana with our sister regulatory agency of the People’s Republic of China. In addition, the name and address of the exporter and the importer will be provided in an attempt to prevent future shipment of substandard foods being exported to Guyana from China.
The Department is advising consumers to pay close attention to labels for dates, addresses, country of origin, instruction for storage, the language (must be in English) and the condition of containers when purchasing items of food at all times.
The Department will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure substandard items of foods, drugs cosmetics and medical devices are prevented from being released on our local market.