Unseen Undekha: Expired products flood city markets

Hyderabad: Are the products you buy fresh to consume? Do you know that there are illegal practices happening in the of altering expiry dates pf products? The practice of selling food products, consumable goods and other daily-use products with altered expiry dates remains unchecked in the city. With no proper vigil by the officials on illegal activities, expired goods are hitting the markets across the city. From chocolates to bread, soaps to shampoos and other packed products with altered expiry dates are on high sale.

Imagine walking into your local grocery store and purchasing a product which is expired, but you are unaware that the as the date-label on the product is altered. The fast-moving consumer goods supplied with altered expiry dates are resold in shops and supermarkets in the city.

These products pose health hazards to consumers as many innocent people, particularly those living in the slums and the customers of supermarkets get cheated from the traders in the guise of attractive discounts and offers. It is beyond them to identify such products.

M Subbarao, a consumer at a grocery store at L B Nagar reacted that many people are unaware of such activities like altering labels of a product which is expired. The product which is expired and altered can lead to various health issues.At times it may threaten the lives of an individual especially children.

"The customers are unaware about the altering of a products' label. Since the expiry date of the product is altered, the consumers do not exactly know onto when did the product expire, it could be a year earlier or may be more than that which may lead to unforeseen consequences. In such cases the suppliers to traders and also the officials are responsible for the quality of the product sold."

Despite of several raids by authorities on food adulteration units and other illegal warehouses, the activity continues unabatedly. Markets have unearthed all kinds of food products, ranging from children sweets to daily use products. Almost all the packed products are recycled by re-label and are sold in the markets.

Few altered products that can cause major health hazards are chips, lollipops, biscuits, chocolates, diapers, body sprays, soaps, hand wash, hand sanitisers and several others.

On Tuesday, the Hyderabad police special operation team (SOT) raided a warehouse in Boduppal and over 300 various products which expired in 2018 to 2022 were being recycled by pasting stickers with new expiry dates and were being released in the market. The police seized about Rs 10 lakh worth products.

According to the officials, the rise of adulterated goods and other phony products sold, and the altered label has largely gone unnoticed by many shoppers. But making no mistake, the problem is extensive. Most people do not realize this and purchase it.

"We carry out surprise checks in shops, markets and supermarkets and verify the product with all supposed angles.

We find adulterated products, low-quality poetical, but it is not easy to find the tampering of expiry dates.

It is possible only after lab testing," said a GHMC official.

According to the Section 27 III (B) of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, a trader is not supposed to sell any consumable product after its expiry date. But, many traders in the city seem to have been violating the Act.

As per the rules of Packaged Commodities (Regulation) Order, sale of packaged products without details such as date of manufacturing, maximum retail price, producer's name and address shall have to be banned from sale.

An officer said, "During the raids the seized material which was recovered from them is stored and following the case, the unsafe products will be destroyed. Moreover, criminval cases will be booked against the traders and people involved in illegal activities inducing the alteration of packed products. The accused may face Rs 2 lakh fine and at least 6 months imprisonment," said a senior officer at GHMC.

It is said that such products are resold in area grocery stores, mostly in slums and high densely populated areas where the fast moving of products is observed. This poses a health hazard to consumers.