* Discovers 891 of them following inspection exercises conducted in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mulanje, Salima, Nkhotakota and Chikwawa districts
* A week after bursting 14 shops selling 649 expired products in Mangochi, Machinga, Zomba, Mzimba, Mzuzu and Kasungu
By Duncan Mlanjira
As the Competition & Fair Trading Commission (CFTC) continues with its shop inspection exercises to check if they are being complied to consumer safety standards, it has bursted some shops keeping expired food products on their shelves.
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In a statement, the CFTC reveals that its inspection officers discovered 891 expired food products and other unsafe items in shops they visited in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mulanje, Salima, Nkhotakota and Chikwawa districts.
This comes a-week-after-the-CFTC-discovered-14-shops-selling-649-expired-products in Mangochi, Machinga, Zomba, Mzimba, Mzuzu and Kasungu — this the CTFC reiterates its appeal to consumers to meticulously check the labelling of products, especially expiry dates and product certification, before purchasing goods.
The Commission alerts the public that “the widespread prevalence of these expired products across multiple consumer categories highlights severe negligence towards basic consumer safety standards by traders — thereby posing a direct health risk to unsuspecting consumers”.
“While the CFTC will continue with the market inspections, for consumers to sufficiently protect themselves and their families, they must exercise extreme caution when purchasing everyday items.”
The statement from CFTC public relations officer, Innocent Helema indicates that the expired items the officers discovered included 101 dairy products, 112 packs of biscuits, 83 packs of noodles and cereals, 178 packets of chewing gum and mints, 172 chocolates and sweets, and 59 snacks and crisps.
The exercise also uncovered 49 drinks/beverages, 38 sauce products and spices, and 28 personal care and household items which were also expired.
Cumulatively, the CFTC has bursted a total of 1,540 expire products and uncertified products, “which pose great risk to consumer safety” — thus the alert to the public that “this conduct is a violation of the Competition and Fair Trading Act (CFTA), which prohibits the supply of products that do not comply with Malawi’s consumer safety standards”.
“The traders found in violation face severe penalties, including monetary penalties of up to 10% of their turnover.
“Nevertheless, the general public plays a critical role in stopping the continued prevalence of these unfair business practices,” emphasises the statement.
“The CFTC continues to urge consumers to remain highly vigilant, inspect expiry dates and product certification, and hence immediately report any traders found violating consumer protection laws.”
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