Bouquet for Consumer Affairs Authority

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has conducted a series of raids to apprehend errant importers and wholesale traders who reintroduce expired food items to the market. The CAA has conducted a number of raids and seized outdated consumer items where wholesale dealers have used fresh labels with bogus expiry dates.

The CAA on Tuesday seized 21,000 kg of expired Basmathi rice from a warehouse in Mabola, Wattala while the stock was being repacked for distribution.

CAA officials said that the rice, which had passed its expiry date and had been eaten by insects, was being repacked for distribution, using new labels with a 2015 expiry date. The CAA officials who raided the warehouse estimated that the value of the seized consignment is around four million rupees.

The owner of the warehouse and two workers who were engaged in repacking the expired Basmathi rice were taken into custody. The CAA will destroy the consignment of expired rice after obtaining a court order.

Outdated sprats worth over Rs. 30 million were detected at a mega storage facility at Elakanda in Hendala, during a raid by the CAA last Wednesday. The consignment of sprats weighing over 47,000 kg was to be released to the local market.

Meanwhile, a prominent upmarket chocolate shop in Colombo 7 was raided and sealed on New Year's eve by Public Health Inspectors. The outlet had stored and sold expired products.

Public Health Inspectors of the Colombo Municipal Council raided the chocolate shop following a tip-off. The products from India had expired 10 months ago. The outlet had begun operations only five months ago, which means that the owners of the shop had got down the expired stock of chocolates, knowing only too well that the products were outdated.

The CAA also raided a food processing centre selling 3,000 kg of repackaged expired chicken, 500 kg of expired pork, 2,000 kg of rotten potatoes and 3,000 kg of rotten Bombay onions. It was revealed that they were collected from supermarkets in the area and sold to hotels in the same area. The suspect had operated from his home in Ja-ela which had been turned into a centre selling farm products.

The expiry dates of the meat products had been changed to be resold to hotels. The parts of the rotten potatoes and onions too had been cut and re-packaged and sold to hotels. The confiscated goods were valued at over five million rupees. The Negombo Magistrate's Court ordered that the goods be destroyed while imposing a fine of Rs 20,000 on the owner.

It was only a couple of weeks ago that a stock of imported fruits, weighing 75,000 kg was detected in Pettah. The importer had used an unauthorised chemical to preserve the fresh fruits for a longer period in the market.

CAA officers detected a food processing centre in Grandpass with 5,000 kg of Moong and 3,000 kg of Undu, imported from India that were unfit for human consumption. The stock was valued at over one million rupees. The re-packed Moong had been priced at Rs.380 a kg. CAA officers carried out the operation on a tip-off.

These are some of the multifarious raids carried out by the CAA and the PHIs in recent times. This alone shows the volume of outdated food and other consumable items that are harmful for human consumption flooding the local market.

Commerce and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando has directed the CAA to intensify raids island-wide from early next month, to nab errant traders, including food outlets and eateries selling soft drinks. The timely action of Minister Fernando and the untiring efforts of the CAA officials should be commended.

CAA officials have been instructed to be vigilant and conduct regular inspections and raids on traders who fail to supply quality goods. Legal action will be taken against traders flouting the law.

The CAA, by its timely action, has not only protected local consumers, but has also generated funds through fines. The CAA has collected over Rs 90 million through fines from raids and inspections conducted throughout the island from January to October last year.

Nearly 40,000 raids were conducted last year, including raids and inspections on the sale and display of food items unsuitable for human consumption, selling and displaying expired food items, changing set prices and selling them at exorbitant prices, selling electrical appliances sans warranty cards, non-display of price lists and violating CAA orders, rules and regulations.

CAA officials have not confined their operations to Colombo, but have also gone to the provinces to protect consumers in rural areas too. The highest number of 2,434 raids was carried out in the Colombo district and 10 million rupees was earned as fines.

Raids were also carried out in Gampaha, Kandy, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Puttalam and other districts in the island. Complaints of fraud, malpractices and corruption against errant traders are pouring into the Internal Trade Ministry daily. Minister Fernando said that the CAA has intensified its raids and inspections to protect consumers from unscrupulous traders.

Minister Fernando said that he had received numerous complaints alleging that fish retailers and wholesale dealers were using formalin to prevent fish getting spoilt. Formalin, a chemical substance used to embalm bodies, is widely used to preserve fish for longer periods of time.

The Minister has directed the CAA to conduct raids countrywide against fish retailers and wholesale dealers as unscrupulous traders are endangering the lives of consumers. CAA officials who collected samples from fish markets and sales points all over the country had referred them to the Government Analyst's Department for a detailed analysis to ascertain whether formalin or other unauthorised chemicals had been used to preserve fish.

The CAA will take stringent action against traders using formalin on the receipt of the report from the Government Analyst.

Following an umpteen number of complaints on cosmetic products by consumers, the CAA raided 107 such establishments and legal action was instituted against 67 for violating consumer rights, since the raids began recently.

It has also been revealed that many cosmetic products in the open market had either an expired shelf life or had not been authorised for sale. The complaints received by the CAA are mostly about allergic reactions and products that had an adverse effect on people. Raids against salons and beauty centres using unauthorised or expired products will be conducted island-wide.

Investigations have revealed that most products contain lead (lipstick and gloss), mercury (skin-whitening lotions), sodium sulfate (shampoos) and other toxic chemicals. The level of mercury in unauthorised products is as high as 30,167 ppm. Ten out of over 20 samples were tested positive for mercury ranging from 0.06 to 30,167 ppm.

CAA officials said that such toxic substances could cause health hazards, especially among children. Moreover, products banned in other countries are being sold in Sri Lanka without any approval or licence.

The amount of contaminated food and other unsuitable consumer items that flooded the local market is frightening. Supermarkets are no exception as most of them sell imported products close to their expiry date - less than six months - as big-time importers buy such products cheaper in international markets.

While commending the efforts of Minister Fernando and the CAA, it's time the authorities blacklist such errant traders and take stern action against the culprits to protect consumers.