C
CHANDRU1849
Guest
The following article is published in The Hindu of date:
QUOTE
Food products sold under such offers and discounts are often nearing their expiry date, or worse, not fir for consumption altogether.
Vivek Narayanan
Every time you go grocery shopping, chances are you end up buying more than you need.
What else are to do when ‘buy one, get one free’ offers and big discounts beckon to you from the shelves at your local grocer’s or supermarket?
However, be alert when you buy food products sold under such offers – they may be nearing their expiry date or not be fit for consumption altogether.
Last year, the State food safety department seized and destroyed two tones of expired food products from various stores in the city.
“Even big supermarkets sell expired products. Such food items are mostly found in North Chennai.” said an official.
While some shop owners claim it is not illegal to sell products that will expire in a fortnight, consumer associations said such problems will end if the consumer gains an understanding of food safety.
According to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the seller shall be held responsible if any food article is sold after expiry date or even handled or kept in unhygienic conditions.
“Food products should carry the manufacturing date and ‘best before’ date on the cover. Perishable items such as bread and milk should mention the use-by date. Expiry date is, however, mentioned only on infant food products, “ said G Santhanarajan, Director, Consumer Association of India.
Selling products beyond their expiry dates is illegal and punishable by law, and consumers can alert the food safety officer in the respective zones.
“If a consumer is harmed by the use of expired products, it becomes a criminal offence. Otherwise, the shopkeeper or dealer is fined upto Rs.5 lakh under the Food Safety Act,” said an official.
But shopkeepers alone cannot be blamed. “Consumers should stop buying such products. Only a few consumers are aware of their rights, “ said Mr Santhanarajan.
The owner of a supermarket said it is alright to stock perishables and other food products until they reach the expiry date.
|Besides, shop staff should be trained to take products that have crossed their expiry date off the shelves,” he said.
CONSUMERS MUST BE ALERT, AWARE
Details that are mandatory on packaged food products
* Date of manufacture
* Best before or expiry date
* Batch or lot number
* Veg / Non-Veg symbol
1. The batch or lot number is important. If something wrong is found in one product, its batch can be traced and all the products taken off the shelves.
2. Re-packaged products too must carry these details. For instance, if tea or pepper is bought wholesale and then repackaged and sold in smaller quantities, these details must be there on the individual packets.
3. The veg. / non-veg. symbol is also important. Recently, the Food Safety Department found a brand of bread carried the veg symbol, when it actuall y had egg as one of its ingredients.
WHAT THE FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS ACT, 2006, SAYS
The seller shall be liable under this Act for any article of food which is:
1. Sold after the date of its expiry
2. Handled and kept in unhygienic conditions
3. Received it by seller with knowledge of it being unsafe
4. Misbranded
5. Not identifying the manufacturer or the distributors from whom such articles of food have been received.
* Expired products are found and seized mostly in North Chennai.
* In 2013, food safety officers, seized two tonnes of expired products from different parts of the city.
UNQUOTE
QUOTE
Food products sold under such offers and discounts are often nearing their expiry date, or worse, not fir for consumption altogether.
Vivek Narayanan
Every time you go grocery shopping, chances are you end up buying more than you need.
What else are to do when ‘buy one, get one free’ offers and big discounts beckon to you from the shelves at your local grocer’s or supermarket?
However, be alert when you buy food products sold under such offers – they may be nearing their expiry date or not be fit for consumption altogether.
Last year, the State food safety department seized and destroyed two tones of expired food products from various stores in the city.
“Even big supermarkets sell expired products. Such food items are mostly found in North Chennai.” said an official.
While some shop owners claim it is not illegal to sell products that will expire in a fortnight, consumer associations said such problems will end if the consumer gains an understanding of food safety.
According to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the seller shall be held responsible if any food article is sold after expiry date or even handled or kept in unhygienic conditions.
“Food products should carry the manufacturing date and ‘best before’ date on the cover. Perishable items such as bread and milk should mention the use-by date. Expiry date is, however, mentioned only on infant food products, “ said G Santhanarajan, Director, Consumer Association of India.
Selling products beyond their expiry dates is illegal and punishable by law, and consumers can alert the food safety officer in the respective zones.
“If a consumer is harmed by the use of expired products, it becomes a criminal offence. Otherwise, the shopkeeper or dealer is fined upto Rs.5 lakh under the Food Safety Act,” said an official.
But shopkeepers alone cannot be blamed. “Consumers should stop buying such products. Only a few consumers are aware of their rights, “ said Mr Santhanarajan.
The owner of a supermarket said it is alright to stock perishables and other food products until they reach the expiry date.
|Besides, shop staff should be trained to take products that have crossed their expiry date off the shelves,” he said.
CONSUMERS MUST BE ALERT, AWARE
Details that are mandatory on packaged food products
* Date of manufacture
* Best before or expiry date
* Batch or lot number
* Veg / Non-Veg symbol
1. The batch or lot number is important. If something wrong is found in one product, its batch can be traced and all the products taken off the shelves.
2. Re-packaged products too must carry these details. For instance, if tea or pepper is bought wholesale and then repackaged and sold in smaller quantities, these details must be there on the individual packets.
3. The veg. / non-veg. symbol is also important. Recently, the Food Safety Department found a brand of bread carried the veg symbol, when it actuall y had egg as one of its ingredients.
WHAT THE FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS ACT, 2006, SAYS
The seller shall be liable under this Act for any article of food which is:
1. Sold after the date of its expiry
2. Handled and kept in unhygienic conditions
3. Received it by seller with knowledge of it being unsafe
4. Misbranded
5. Not identifying the manufacturer or the distributors from whom such articles of food have been received.
* Expired products are found and seized mostly in North Chennai.
* In 2013, food safety officers, seized two tonnes of expired products from different parts of the city.
UNQUOTE
