What about checks on our locally grown food?

Oct 02, 2018 Letters

Dear Editor,
More than once I’ve written about local produce, mainly vegetables and fruits, being laced with toxic chemicals and before the time frame for these chemicals to finish their process, they are available on the markets.
As a result, they are purchased and unfortunately for some people, they suffer from that deliberate act.
Some get serious bouts of diarrhoea, vomiting or serious bouts of headache.
Others have penned their concerns about this dastardly act but to date, no action have been taken to curb this.
I’m wondering if the current Minister of Agriculture who was catapulted out of retirement, is capable enough to enact some sort of regulation to monitor the farmers and their method of applying the chemicals to their produce and allowing the time frame for the chemicals to properly do its work.
Editor, periodically we would hear about the successful raids being carried out by joint agencies to address the various expired food items that are being imported by unscrupulous business men/importers.
These businesses would announce sales close to the expiry dates.
Now the local markets are being flooded with expired edibles, mainly confectionaries. Apart from that, there are many bottled and canned products that are expired and easily obtainable countrywide and mainly targetting schools, because the children are not aware of the dangers from using expired products. They are simply not aware enough to check for expiry date.
In addition, there are products selling that don’t have any manufactured date or expiration date and also there are products without any English writing to tell you what you eating/drinking or what are the contents.
Over the weekend, I personally inspect a popular drink and no date can be found anywhere on the bottle or cap.
Editor, only recently, I was communicating with one of the best reporters in this country and I was telling him about my concern with expiry dates being erased and new dates stamped.
He informed me that many big companies locally are involved in that unscrupulous act. The reason that they are not being exposed is another story.
My assumption is that many are scared for their lives or jobs, should they choose to expose these crooks.
With the promises arising from the oil, we are seeing an influx of people showing an interest in Guyana and many venturing here with their families.
Is it possible for those responsible be more vigilant and do their work properly that they are being paid so that people could see we are a responsible country?
Sahadeo Bates

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