Shops selling expired food

Sifundiso Ndlovu/ Mpumelelo Nyoni Chronicle Reporters
SEVEN food outlets in Bulawayo have been fingered for selling expired foodstuffs to consumers following inspections conducted by the council. According to the latest council minutes, outlets such as OK Supermarket, Chef Jiffy and Mighty Meats Butchery surrendered expired or rotten food items following the inspections.

This has raised fears that residents were consuming or at some point consumed unsafe products which may adversely affect their health. Chicken products topped the list of foodstuffs found unsuitable for human consumption during the inspections.

OK Supermarket surrendered 164 2kg packs and 27 1kg packs of chicken products after inspectors condemned them. Super Poultry Products, Chef Jiffy and Mighty Meats Butchery were some of the entities that were exposed during the inspection.

The latest council minutes also revealed that the inspections were hindered by a shortage of staff; hence a full scale operation could not be carried out. This means that findings from the inspections do not give a full picture of the extent of potential harm to residents due to expired food that they may be forced to buy unknowingly.

“Most businesses were found to be maintaining good hygiene. There was however concern on the issue of sale of expired foodstuffs. The affected products were removed from the shelves, confiscated and disposed of appropriately,” reads part of the council minutes. “A total of 66 dairy products samples were analysed and 11 of the samples were unsatisfactory. The producers were advised to ensure better product quality,” the minutes added. Other foodstuffs that were confiscated and destroyed by the city council include 30 kg potatoes from Chef Jiffy.