Every time a paper publishes news of warehouses, shops and restaurants caught selling expired food products, the public start questioning the effectiveness of the punishments being applied at present. These mostly range from fines to temporary closure of the business. In the meantime people continue to get poisoned and fall sick after eating food unsuitable for human consumption.
Just recently a warehouse in Jeddah was shut down after inspectors discovered serious health violations. Officials at the store were caught selling expired food products to various businesses after exchanging the old tags for new ones carrying fresh dates. In another raid inspectors discovered a warehouse selling expired tires that carry fake production dates. One shop was caught selling imitation goods carrying the brand name of an international manufacturing company. Trading in expired baby and child food is widespread.
Despite the serious threats to people caused by such practices the authorities are not doing enough, and we have yet to see more stringent measures to curb the phenomenon.
In the past ads were put in newspapers carrying the names of traders caught committing such disgraceful acts, with the ad specifying the nature of the violation as a deterrent. But now such ads are no longer seen and the violations are only reported as news. Newspapers continue to publish health violations on a regular basis, and hardly a day passes without a shop, restaurant, warehouse or other business being reported for having violated health regulations and endangering peoples’ lives.
If this is the situation in cities and towns, you can imagine the volume of the problem in rural areas where supervision is lax and laws are not enforced in the same way as in large urban centers.
The problem is more visible during the tourist season, when festivals are held everywhere. The quality of service in fast food restaurants sharply deteriorates at these times. This may be because of the rush and the inability of the shops to cope with the flood of customers and also because of the poor quality of the food stored at warehouses. But this is no excuse for exposing people’s health to danger.
What is required in an overall evaluation of the penalties for these violators, who seem less concerned with public health than making a quick profit. Harsher punishment is needed to stop the phenomenon.
Arab News From the Local Press 23 July 2003
