Check Expired Food products to Prevent Health Hazards

Mr. Emmanuel Yawlui, the Hohoe Municipal Environmental Health and Sanitation Officer, has delivered a strong message to the public concerning the significance of verifying the expired food products they buy or sell.

Underlining the potential health dangers linked to the consumption or sale of expired goods without verification of expiration dates of products, Mr. Yawlui stressed the crucial importance of being vigilant in ensuring that products are still within their validity period.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) following the disposal of confiscated expired products by the Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit, Mr. Yawlui announced that the Unit would persist in its routine inspections to clear shops of such expired products.

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He expressed worry over the fact that some traders stored food items and consumables for prolonged periods without knowing the products expiration dates, thereby posing severe health risks to consumers.

Mr. Yawlui also pointed out that consumers often remained oblivious to the fact that the food products they bought had expired, exacerbating the health risks.

He revealed that the Unit carried out comprehensive inspections of shops, markets, and stores in partnership with owners every quarter of the year, especially before and after festive seasons.

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Despite continuous educational initiatives aimed at ensuring compliance with regulations, Mr. Yawlui expressed disappointment that many shopkeepers and traders neglected to remove expired products in stock or verify the expiration dates of products supplied to them.

Nevertheless, he acknowledged a positive development in which the quantity of expired products confiscated during inspections had decreased due to ongoing awareness campaigns.

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Among the expired food products seized were cornflakes, biscuits, detergents, bottled and canned beverages, packets of margarine, and iodized salts.

Given these findings, Mr. Yawlui urged both consumers and sellers to prioritize safety by meticulously checking expiration dates and promptly discarding expired items to protect public health.