A milk product that expired on Feb 6 remains on the store shelf.
KUCHING: The month of February is fast coming to an end, but a supermarket here is still selling snacks that expired last month.
A reporter of The Borneo Post was shocked to find cans of expired potato-chips sold at a supermarket in Pending here on Sunday.
Above these items were hung two distinctive cards that read ‘XXXX Potato Chips.181g. RM2.99. Exp Date: Jan 2014’.
A ‘normal selling price’ used to be there, but it was blackened out by a marker.
That supermarket was also selling a milk product with the ‘06 Feb 14’ expiry date imprinted on its outside.
This imported product is usually sold for more than RM5 per pack, but since it has already expired, the supermarket was selling them for RM2.50 each.
Thinking that the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK) was the authority to look into this matter, a call to the state office turned out differently.
The staff who picked up the phone said categorically that expired food items did not come under their purview.
“You have to speak to the Health Ministry on this.”
A call was then made to the state Health Department, but it was futile.
The person who picked up the phone said the call should be directed to officers in its food quality division.
However, the phone line to the food quality division continued to return a busy tone, even after a few attempts.
According to an Internet website, the actual term ‘expiration date’ refers to the last date a food should be eaten or used.
More often than not, consumers often see ‘best before’ labelled on various product packaging.
This refers strictly to quality, not safety, and is recommended for best flavour or quality.
Sour cream, for instance, is already sour, but can have a zippier, fresh taste when freshly sour.