Ministry Warns Shops Over Sale of Expired Goods

Turning to another public health issue, the Ministry of Health and Wellness is encouraging the public to report on shops and stores that are selling expired goods. It’s a well-known practice across the country that was recently highlighted through social media. A picture began making its rounds of a store in San Pedro offering a sale on expired goods and warning that buyers could not return the items after purchase. The ministry is urging consumers to refrain from buying expired items due to possible adverse impacts on their health. Director of Public Health & Wellness Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa says that stores that are found with expired items for sale could face serious sanctions, including having their businesses shut down.

Dr. Melissa Diaz Musa, Director of Health and Wellness: “Our position is that you should not consume expired goods. Expiry dates are on the goods for a reason. Expired goods should not be sold and the Ministry of Health, through the Public Health Act, we hold the mandate to ensure that the grocery stores, supermarkets, whoever is selling these goods, they are supposed to ensure that expired goods are removed from their shelves and are destroyed readily. We do have teams of public health inspectors who would go in sometimes along with the Drug Inspectorate Unit to supermarkets and they do a thorough inspection. But if it is seen that expired goods are in any of the supermarkets or stores that you use, you can reach out to the Ministry of Health, you can reach out to the public health inspectors in your area and make the complaint and we would go in to ensure that these are removed readily. Yes, there’s a process that can be taken depending on what is found. it can be to, but something as simple as removing the expired goods depending on what it is to actually closing down a store. If we do find things that were not supposed to be sold in that store, we do have the mandate along with the two regulatory units, the Public Health Unit and the Drug Inspectorate Unit, we do have the mandate to go in and to close stores depending on what is found on inspection.”

Dr. Diaz says that health inspectors countrywide continue to monitor stores for expired goods.