The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has closed down a factory in the south of Jeddah for repacking out-of-date foodstuffs. The factory violated health codes by repacking out-of-date olive oil in containers that had new dates and incorrect places of origin, a ministry source said.
During its inspection campaigns, the ministry also found a number of retail stores and shops repacking food incorrectly. In addition, a number of storage facilities and commercial centers were closed for selling out-of-date products and committing other violations. The source said tampering with foodstuffs usually takes place before and during Ramadan.
The ministry will intensify its efforts to catch all offenders and stop them from exploiting this period, the source added.
Ahmad Saeed Al-Ghamdi, the former vice president of the committee to combat commercial fraud, said unscrupulous traders use this time to dispose of spoiled products, because consumers have very little education in this respect.
“When consumers go to the market, they expect to find new products, they don’t think about expiry dates,” he said.
Isam Al-Ahmadi, who owns a commercial center, said disposing of products usually takes place during this time of year. Owners should make sure their products are intact, because many of them do not pay attention to the expiry date, which can harm their businesses.
Punishments still do not match the gravity of the crime and are incorrectly meted out. Authorities should increase their awareness campaigns to educate consumers, especially since this is an issue of public health and well-being.
Factory repacking spoiled food shut
