Consumer commission cracks down on 45 suppliers for expired, mislabelled goods

THE National Consumer Commission (NCC) has issued compliance notices to 45 suppliers across South Africa for contravening the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), following inspections that uncovered the sale of expired, spoiled, and mislabelled food products.

- SIPHESIHLE BUTHELEZI

The Commission said the action came after a series of inspections across the country. The suppliers included small supermarkets and bigger wholesalers.

According to the NCC, the inspections revealed that suppliers were selling dairy products, meat, maize meal, eggs, snacks, biscuits, and noodles that were expired or had no expiry or best-before dates. “This violates Section 55(2) of the CPA, which guarantees consumers the right to safe, usable and good quality goods,” said NCC spokesperson Phetho Ntaba.

“Date markings assist consumers in determining the shelf life and safety of the products before making any purchase.”