Masvingo City Council chief health director, Zvapano Munganasa, said the council had confiscated about three tonnes of expired foodstuffs from shops in the city.
“The council will be forced to revoke the operating licences of some shops as they were once cautioned before for violating the Health Act when they were caught selling expired foodstuffs. We are worried about this trend,” Mungangasa said.
He added that council heath inspectors confiscated the food during a routine check to monitor compliance with the Health Act. All the confiscated goods were destroyed.
“We are empowered by Section 10 and 69 of the Health Act to destroy the confiscated goods and sue the businesses for selling expired products,” he said.
Consumer Council of Zimbabwe spokesperson, Comfort Muchekeza, expressed shock over reports that shops in Masvingo were selling expired products.
“This kind of behaviour cannot be tolerated, especially meat and dairy products. Even though there is no conclusive proof of health implications, the fact that there is a sell by date means it’s no longer fit for consumption by humans,” Muchekeza noted.
The Zimbabwean heard that some shops repackaged expired food to avoid losses.
Post published in: News