Raids on leading food chain prompt check-label advice from chief medical officer
Colombo's Chief Medical Officer has urged consumers to be more vigilant when buying food products or ingredients because they may be buying outdated items with new expiry date labels.
The instructions were issued following a raid on a Mattakkuliya food outlet, where shop assistants were found replacing the expiry date label on packets and bottles of bakery item ingredients from England, Germany and Dubai.
The food outlet operates under the name Caravan Fresh, owned by Madina Foods (Pvt) Ltd, which runs 25 outlets in Colombo and suburbs.
Besides its fast food business, the company imports cake ingredients and bakery item ingredients and distribute to leading hotels.
The raid on Mattakkuliya outlet came soon after Consumers Affairs Authority (CAA) officials, assisted by the Police Special Task Force personnel, conducted a raid on the company's main store at Hendala in Wattala. They found 17.5 tons of outdated bakery and cake ingredients at the facility. They included cake ingredients, custard powder, vanilla and apple drinks. The expiry dates of these items ranged from May 13 to December 6, 2019.
Colombo Municipality's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ruwan Wijemuni said that the public should pay more attention to check whether the labels had been tampered with or replaced when buying food items.
He said some of the food items seized had been sent to the Government Analyst's Department while the rest was destroyed.
The Council, meanwhile, called on the public to dial 011-2676161 to make a complaint if they suspected that the expiry date labels on food items had been replaced.
A case has been filed under the Food Act in the Colombo Magistrate's Court. The case will be taken up on Friday.
The section of the company that was involved with the labelling has been sealed and another case has been filed against the company under the CAA Act which prohibits the sale of outdated goods. The case will be taken up in the Wattala Magistrate's Court on March 18.
Colombo Municipality's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ruwan Wijemuni said that the public should pay more attention to check whether the labels had been tampered with or replaced when buying food items.