Several food items were confiscated and removed from various stalls at the Bourda Market this morning during an exercise conducted by the Public Health Department of the Mayor and City Council.

The exercise was led by City Hall’s Solid Waste Director, Walter Narine, who expressed concern over expired items being sold to citizens. 

He also expressed worry over poor storage and labelling of items that are on shelves and that may not be expired, but still pose a public health threat to consumers.

“The exercise is to ensure that the items sold to consumers they haven’t reached the expiry date and if they have, we are immediately removing it from the stands and the owners will be sanctioned and the next time we have that, we will be take more severe actions,” Narine told reporters during the exercise.

Narine confirmed that expired goods were found on the shelves and noted that the City Council would like to work with vendors to ensure that they are selling items that are within the expiry dates, and that expired ones be dumped.

“And not only expiry dates but to ensure that they (the items) are not damaged—some of the milk tins and so when they are bend, they can have rust on the inside and that can contaminate the product,” Narine explained. 

The items that were found Narine explained will be dumped at the landfill under strict supervision of Constabulary ranks to ensure that they do not find their way back on to the shelves.

He explained that although the exercise is supposed to happen every three months, the last one was done almost a year ago, and expressed the need for the City to intensity its efforts in this regard.

“So, we are hoping to restart this exercise that we have, not only at this market but at other markets, Stabroek Market, Ruimveldt and Kitty Markets as well as the Supermarkets too because it is a mandate of the Council to ensure that foods are safe,” Narine stated.

Some of the seized expired items included cereal, ketchup, corn, packets of milo, canned beans and sardines.

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