Consumers urged to check food expiry dates amid escalating cases

The Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO) is urging consumers to check expiry dates on food products before making a purchase.

This comes after the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud received high volumes of complaints from angry consumers regarding expired products in urban areas.

The CGSO says it supports the National Consumer Commission’s (NCC) nationwide effort to combat the sale of expired products.

CGSO chief executive officer Queen Munyai says consumers in rural areas frequently have limited shopping choices.

“Provinces with large rural populations are underrepresented. It’s not that these provinces don’t experience poor services, consumers may not be aware of their rights. Rural consumers also tend to have fewer retail options and are particularly vulnerable to deceptive trading practices, such as putting stickers over Best Before dates or smudging expiry dates to make them eligible,” she says.

Munyai added that apart from fostering accountability and compliance among suppliers, CGSO’s mandate was also to empower consumers to understand their rights under the Consumer Protection Act.