Officials have discovered widespread non-compliance especially of goods that have passed their sell-by, use-by or best before dates, as the National Consumer Commission (NCC) embarked on countrywide compliance inspections starting in Limpopo.
The NCC said the inspections were to ensure that unsafe and expired goods are removed from the shelves.
The NCC joined forces with the Departments of Labour, Health and the Home Affairs Immigration Office, police, Environmental Health Practitioners, and Waste Management under Capricorn District Municipality to inspect various retailers in Seshego, Mankweng, Turfloop, Lebowakgomo and Polokwane.
“In the areas inspected, the team discovered that there is widespread non-compliance especially of goods that have passed their sell-by, use-by or best before dates.
“The non-compliant goods were duly removed from the shelves and confiscated,” the NCC said.
Non-compliant goods include baby food, sweets, cool drinks, noodles, snacks, tinned foodstuff, juices, and other consumables.
“These items had the potential of causing harm and compromising the health of consumers,” the NCC said.
“There is an equally reprehensible practice that the inspection uncovered which is the retention of the goods past date markings and continuing to sell them to consumers at ‘discount prices’.”
Section 55 of the CPA provides that every consumer has a right to goods that are of good quality, safe, and comply with applicable standards or any other public regulations.
The confiscated items will be destroyed, the NCC confirmed. The other common practice discovered was suppliers that did not display the prices of goods, making it difficult for consumers to know the price beforehand to exercise their right to choose.
Section 23(3) of the CPA provides that “suppliers of goods and services must not display any goods for sale without displaying to the consumer a price in relation to those goods”.
The act further states that a price must be adequately displayed, expressed in the currency of the country, affixed to, written, printed, stamped, located upon, or applied to the goods or the band.
The inspection team discovered that suppliers did not issue sales records/receipts or that their sales records/receipts are not consistent with the provisions of the CPA.
There were also incidents of bundled goods where consumers did not enjoy the benefit of savings when buying in bulk as envisaged by the CPA.
The NCC urged consumers to look for date markings (best before/use by dates), as buying and consuming these goods may lead to health complications.
NCC Acting Commissioner, Hardin Ratshisusu, said: “Failure to issue sales records deprives the consumer of their right to return the goods in case of a product failure where quality is compromised.
“We want to remind suppliers to comply with the provisions of the CPA.
“The NCC will continue with its efforts to ensure a fair marketplace by taking non-compliant suppliers to task.”
Cape Times