If there is anytime one need to be vigilante when shopping, it is now. Adulteration and product counterfeiting is not new but the modifying of manufactured and expiry dates of products to extend their shelf lives has escalated to an alarming level.
It cuts across most products, but the ones mostly affected are imported food products and cosmetics. One area that this crime has eaten deep into is imported cereals.
Just last week, three different people, living in different parts of Lagos contacted Consumer Watch to relate their experiences on this page so that readers will be more informed. They reportedly bought imported cereals from renowned supermarkets and the manufactured and expiry dates on the cereal packets had all been modified to ensure deceptively longer shelf lives.
According to Mrs. Franca Oyegun, who has already lodged her complaints with the National Agency for Food, Drug, Administration and Control [NAFDAC,she had bought a 750g of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies from a popular supermarket on Shasha road, Akowonjo, Alimosho Local Government Council.
“I usually buy my cereals from them because of the collection of imported and local cereals usually on display in their shelf. Their price is not lower than other supermarket, just about the same thing,” regretted Mrs. Oyegun.
Fortunately, she continued, “I am always mindful of expiry date so when I noticed it was looking as if it had been tampered with, I requested to see the manager of the supermarket.”
Still wary and not satisfied, continued Franca Oyegun, “I made it known to the supermarket manager that if I actually confirm that the dates had been adjusted that I will report the incident to NAFDAC.”
Mrs. Eno Ekelemu, another recent victim, disclosed that she bought fruit and fiber cereal of another popular imported brand at Arapasanwa Street off Toyin Road Ikeja. The expiry date of course had been doctored to extend the shelf life, while Mr. Samson Ikedi made his purchase at Sunday Adigun street also in Ikeja.
Of course the reason for this is not farfetched. As the value of the Naira continues to depreciate while the foreign exchange is increasingly scarce, many importers are steadily finding it very difficult to import things but that is scarcely an excuse to put consumer’s lives on the line. Wickedness and greed which has beclouded the sense of reasoning on the part of the suppliers and retailers is a more appropriate excuse.
However, the introduction of foreign exchange restriction on some 41 items which the Central Bank of Nigeria[CBN] says could easily be sourced and produced locally is making a lot of products scarce and more expensive.
Since this development, importers and traders have been lamenting the increase in the exchange rate of the naira, saying the development has caused astronomical rise in the cost of their wares while majority of the importers are no longer importing.
Nevertheless, foreign cereals especially corn flakes from Europe and United States come out crispy and taste better than the ones we have here. However, Daily Delight, Golden Morn, Milo Whole Grain cereals from Golden Penny and Nestle Foods Plc. taste so well and can compete anywhere.
It is the sole responsibility of the consumer s to check the condition of the product she is paying for. No wonder, one of the campaigns of the regulatory body the Standard Organization of Nigeria [SON] says, “Look well, well before you buy.”
Government regulatory agencies must put more efforts to curtail this escalating trend of date modification. However, consumers have a big role to play as government officials cannot be everywhere.
In the view of a consumer advocate who would not be named, he said, manufacturers, producers and importers of products owe the consumers the obligation of informing them of the expiry date status of products they manufacture, produce or import. “By so doing, they stand the chances of boosting consumer confidence in their products but it is the duty of consumers to observe when these dates are doctored and inform the relevant government agencies who will no doubt swing into action.”
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