Unhygienic meat transportation raises concern in KZN
KwaZulu-Natal consumers have raised concern over the exposure to a potential health risk after a storage van was seen unhygienically transporting unpackaged meat to a local supermarket.
UThungulu District Community Services Department condemned the incident, saying it was unacceptable from a health point of view as the meat was subject to contamination, Zululand Observer reported.
“This is contrary to the regulations governing general hygiene requirements for food premises and the transporting of food,” the district said.
The district added that this kind of transportation can result in the meat being condemned as unfit for human consumption and the transporter being liable to prosecution in terms of the aforementioned regulations.
Leaving the premises after shopping at a popular Empangeni store, a customer, Tommy Marx said he was appalled at the sight of the carcass being offloaded directly from the bin of a truck.
“Usually such goods should be transported in a proper cooler van, not a standard storage truck. Apart from that, the unpackaged meat was strewn across the filthy floor of the truck,” said Marx.
In August, the owner of a prominent KwaZulu-Natal food company was arrested for allegedly selling contaminated meat.
The 34-year-old unidentified business owner faced two charges related to selling contaminated meat products and processing food in an unhygienic space.
Police could not confirm which areas in the province had been serviced by the unidentified food company.
In terms of the Consumer Protection Act, it was found to be an offence for anyone to alter, obscure, falsify, remove or omit a displayed price, labelling or trade description without authority.
Punishment included fines of up to R10 million or 10 years in prison.
– Caxton News Service
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