News
Supermarkets targeted in latest food raids
View(s):The Consumer Affairs Authority is continuing the widespread raids and inspections that began last December, with the latest targets being supermarkets and warehouses of leading importers involved in selling expired items with re-labelling and re-selling food items harmful to human health. Last week, the CAA found 30,000 cans of date expired canned fish and 10,000 cans of green peas with re-labelled prices at a warehouse of a leading importer and date expired stocks of sweets at a branch of a well-known supermarket chain.
A raid being carried out at a super market in Beruwala. Pic by S. Siriwardhena
The canned fish and green peas were stored in a warehouse belonging to a leading importer in Negombo. “The original expiry date of the canned fish was in 2012 but at the time of raiding they were using thinner to erase the original expiry date and using digital scanners to mark a new expiry date in 2015,” said Gampaha district Chief Raid Officer Ranjith Weerawardena.
The Nittambuwa branch of a leading supermarket chain was fined Rs. 100,000 for having expired sweets on shelves. The supermarket has committed the offence twice. Nipun Ekanayake, spokesman for the Ministry of Internal Trade and Co-operatives, told the Sunday Times that Minister Johnston Fernando had instructed the Consumer Affairs Authority to inspect all supermarkets in order to ensure good quality food items are available in the market.
“Supermarkets should maintain their quality as both locals and foreigners visit hoping that the food items are not expired and stale. Having expired items on the shelves not only tarnishes their image but also results in an unsuspecting public consuming harmful food,” he said. Mr. Ekanayake said last year the CAA raided and inspected over 60,000 retail shops, warehouses, supermarkets and other establishments.
“The Minister has ordered to take action even against supermarkets, co-operative stores and economic centres if they are putting the health of public at risk,” he said. Errant individual traders and importers are fined a maximum Rs. 10,000 rupees while companies are fined Rs. 10,000-Rs.100,000 for the first offence and Rs. 20,000-Rs. 200,000 for a repeated offence.
Mr. Ekanayake said discussions were being held to bring new amendments to the existing Consumer Affairs Act, increasing the present fine.“Fines are supposed to discourage traders from engaging in errant means of trading. They should not get away with simply paying the fine but completely stop their unethical practices,” he said.
Last week, 400,000 tons of contaminated dhal was found in a warehouse in Wellampitiya and 14 tonnes of rotten potatoes were found in Kerawalapitiya. Rotten potatoes and onions were also discovered in a number of warehouses. In Matara, Batticaloa, Kandy and Kurunegala too, raids and mobile inspections have been conducted in the past weeks. The CAA discovered expired, contaminated food items such as canned fish, rice and grains infested with weevils, storage full of rats, re-labelling of food items etc.
Recent raids by the Colombo Municipal Council’s Public Health Department also revealed a number of places selling expired imported food items. These include baked beans, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, raspberry jam and cornflakes.
Three held with haul of spoiled sprats in Pettah
The manager of a store and two others were taken into custody along with 20,000 kilos of outdated dried sprats during a raid on a location at Keyzer Street in Pettah yesterday, a senior official with the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) said. He said the consignment had been imported from Dubai some six months ago.
The suspects were apprehended as they were in the process of re-packing the sprats to be delivered to consumer sales outlets in the city and suburbs. (LB)