A JOINT operation between the metro police and members of the Montclair Police Station targeted spaza shops in the area to check for compliance on November 6.

The aim of the operation was to check if the spaza shops were compliant with municipal bylaws which, among other things, prohibit the sale of expired products. Although no arrests were made, the police called on business owners to refrain from selling expired products to the community.

Also read: Montclair Police intensify crime prevention measures

Social crime prevention member for Montclair Police Station, Sergeant Noma Mnguni said Vispol Commanders and officials from eThekwini Municipality joined the operation.

“During the operation we checked all the spaza shops if they had valid trading permits and checked for expired food items,” said Mnguni.

Spaza shops have come under scrutiny after a 10-year-old child died in Alexandra after consuming food bought at a local tuckshop.

The operation comes as reports of suspected food poisoning continue to rise throughout the country – raising major questions about the safety of food sold at spaza shops.

Also read: Tragic death of elderly woman in devastating house fire grips Yellowwood Park residents

Mnguni said the ongoing incident of food poisoning is concerning.

“Some children died after eating poisoned food in recent weeks. This is a national crisis that deserves the most urgent and effective public awareness intervention from a government. The police also distributed pamphlets to the spaza shop owners to educate them about the importance of adhering to the bylaws and food safety rules,” Mnguni added.

Last month, the National Consumer Commission (NCC) conducted inspections at spaza shops in Soweto and Eastern Cape to ascertain compliance with the Consumer Protection Act (CPA No. 68 of 2008) and other applicable laws, regulations, and by-laws in the consumer protection space.

NCC discovered non-compliance with date markings past sell-by or expiry date requirements, some goods not labelled and goods labelled in foreign languages with unclear or no information on ingredients. The items found non-compliant include baby food, sweets, cool drinks, noodles, snacks, biscuits, juices, and other consumables. According to a statement from the NCC, the sale of these items has the potential to cause harm and compromise the health of consumers.

For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox.