By Mahmoud Doaan
SOME supermarkets choose the month before Ramadan to get rid of items that are close to expiry. They do this because they know that most people tend to buy a lot of food items during this time in preparation for Ramadan. Hypermarkets put a lot of such items on sale, which is wrong. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “He who deceives us is not one of us.”
The real catastrophe is that some expatriate workers change the expiration dates on food items that are out of date. Food that has gone off can be harmful to humans and can cause several diseases. The Ministry of Commerce should impose stricter penalties on this and carry out visits to major food suppliers.
I have also noticed that some cashiers at supermarkets and hypermarkets overcharge shoppers, especially women, and take advantage of the situation because female shoppers usually do not pay attention. For example, if a product comes with a 20 percent discount, the cashier might deduct 10 percent of the product if the shopper is a woman.
The Ministry of Commerce recently raided several warehouses and confiscated food items that had passed their expiration date and were going to be sold with fake expiration dates. Although the ministry has been exerting painstaking efforts to close down those who try to sell fake items in the market, it cannot stop all illegal practices; it needs the help of citizens. Anyone who sees food being sold that has passed the expiration date should inform the Ministry of Commerce.
The Consumer Protection Association should also play a role in cracking down on anyone who tries to make money using illegal methods in complete disregard for public health and safety.
