Outdated sprats seized in Pettah

By Uditha Kumarasinghe

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) yesterday seized 20,000 kilos of outdated sprats from a warehouse in Second Cross Street, Pettah while the stock was being repacked for distribution.

The CAA officials who raided the warehouse have estimated that the value of the seized consignment is around Rs. 5 million. When the CAA officials raided the warehouse, the outdated sprats had been cleaned and repacked to be released to the market, a Co-operatives and Internal Ministry spokesman told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

Meanwhile, outdated sprats worth over Rs. 30 million were detected at a mega storage facility at Elakanda, Hendala, during a raid by the CAA last month.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

On the directive of Co-operatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando, the CAA has conducted a series of raids to apprehend errant importers and wholesale traders who reintroduce outdated food items to the market, he said.

Minister Fernando has directed the CAA to intensify raids island-wide to nab errant traders, including food outlets and eateries selling soft drinks. CAA officials have been instructed to be vigilant and conduct regular inspections and raids on traders who fail to supply quality goods to consumers. Legal action will be taken against these traders who breach the law.

These initiatives taken by the CAA have not only safeguarded consumers, but has also generated a lot of income to the CAA through fines imposed. The CAA has collected over Rs 90 million through fines from raids and inspections conducted country-wide from January to October last year, the spokesman said.