NA Town Council clamps down on sale of expired goods

Feb 03, 2010 News

NEW AMSTERDAM, BERBICE – The New Amsterdam Town Council seized some $200,000 worth of confectionery, grocery items and cosmetics from business entities in and around the municipality last week.

According to Public Health Inspector for New Amsterdam, Ackloo Ramsudh there was a reduction in the volume of items seized during this particular exercise. He cited a series of programmes which were conducted in New Amsterdam enlightening persons about what to look for and how to be more vigilant when purchasing goods. According to him, more people now look for expiry dates on items and are aware of what steps to take if a product that has outlived its shelf-life is up for sale.

Inspections are carried out on a regular basis. However the frequency of visits is to be increased to cater for products that expire between visits. He explained that a check may be done in January and a product may expire two weeks later, so inspection must be arranged according to those dates. As a result of frequent complaints from consumers, the Council was forced to change its strategy to ensure the safety of the public is properly addressed.

The Environmental Health Department of the Council is also working towards proper documentation of products that were seized and the business entities they were taken from.

Last week, two campaigns were held in New Amsterdam and its environs, however, only 50 percent of the business concerns were inspected. This is because of limited resources. At present the Department does not have its own vehicle and this hampers the exercise since it is a ‘seize and remove’ operation, “Each time we inspect we can always find expired or damaged goods on shelves…damaged be it in terms of labeling or packaging and then there is also the problem with goods in foreign languages.”

In some instances the trouble may stem from how these goods are stored, handled, and displayed and gross negligence on the part of shopkeepers.

Several times, goods were found on shelves for sale or in bonds that had expired a year ago. The seized products are usually taken to the dump site and destroyed.

Mr. Ramsudh posited that many of the business places are guilty of having damaged or expired goods, even by 24 hours at some time or the other, but at some places it is more prevalent.

He emphasized that once the product has passed its expiration date and there is no guarantee from the manufacturer that it can remain safe, then it is not fit for human consumption.

Keen attention should be placed on such items. Once the expiration date is affixed then regardless of what shop keepers say there is no extension in the life of the product.

Among expired goods frequently seen are baby food, all form of confectionery, locally produced carbonated beverages and several imported food stuff and other items.

Some of the infestations result from the manner in which the products were transported and stored since several of the trucks, used to carry foodstuff, are used for other purposes.

It is imperative that business owners do frequent general cleaning of bonds and more attention must be placed on the method of transport and storage.

All goods for human consumption, regardless of category, should be stored at least six inches off ground and 18 inches from the wall, “This is to allow for easy access for cleaning and for proper ventilation as a source to keep them fresh.”

Twice weekly specific categories of business entities are targeted for inspection, on other days the abattoir, food service establishments and the like are done.

There are also routine environmental lot inspections in which yards are checked. The officers look for over-grown bush, old containers that accumulate water or waste in the yard which would attract breeding of vectors responsible for the spread of a number of communicable diseases including leptospirosis and infections that can be transmitted by mosquitoes.

The Municipality is also working towards adopting a zero tolerance approach to poor meat and fish storage in the New Amsterdam Market and other places.

It was discovered that many vendors sell pork, beef, chicken, fish, and other seafood that were not displayed in a cold storage facility. The initial steps are being dealt with before the system is put into operation later this year. Failure to comply can result in goods being confiscated.

There were three sensitization programmes only for fish and other sea food vendors held so far in New Amsterdam. The next group to be targeted is the meat vendors followed by the consumers.