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Small vendors protest ban on foreign labeled goods

Jun 21, 2012 News

Small vendors protest ban on foreign labeled goods

Two days after the Government Analyst, Food and Drugs Department (GAFDD), announced that it will be removing all food and drug items labeled in foreign languages from shelves of local retail outlets, small vendors are asking that they give them some grace period to sell those that they have in stock.
The vendors fear that their small businesses will face tremendous losses.  Items in which they have invested may no longer be sold.
These vendors added that their businesses survive mostly by selling small items, most of which are not labeled in English.
Larger entities said that the authority should take into consideration, the plights of small business owners, before moving to a sudden ban.
Many of them also revealed that even though their products are not labeled in complete English, they do have translation, and customers have never complained about not understanding what they read.
The main reason why the small vendors opt to purchase foreign branded goods is because it costs a lot less than those with English labels.
They explained that drug and food items from countries such as India or China cost less than the ones imported from European nations or other English speaking countries.
The Government Food and Drug Department had initially said that the food and drug act regulation states that all regulated articles offered for sale should be English.
This they said would allow better communication and understanding between manufacturers, distributors and consumers. The GAFDD said that proper labeling will allow consumers to make safe and healthy choices when purchasing goods.
The articles on sale should be clearly understood by persons who are restricted by their beliefs or otherwise.  With regards to cosmetics and skincare products the GAFDD said that safety information on hypoallergenic and sun protection is required.
The government analyst said that it took into consideration the impact that all these issues could be for the safety and protection of consumers.

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