While much ado is done about giant retailers selling expired products, the Food Safety officials seem to be lackadaisical about the quality of products sold in small departmental stores.

When Covai Post asked a couple of the stores in the city if there are frequent visits of the concerned officials they responded in negative. “Not all step into big retailers stores to buy something as much as a small packet of biscuit. If there is a small store located next to the office, we would like buy a packet to go with the evening tea. But if that product is not checked for its quality, then it shows the callous attitude of the concerned officials”, said Dharmaraj who was shocked when he opened to see the crumbled remains of Marie biscuit.

When Dharmaraj opened the pack of Brittania Marie Gold biscuit that he bought near the
Coimbatore Airport, little did he expect to find moth crawling in them. The biscuits were
all crumbling. When he checked the date of manufacture, it was 24-12-2014, with a shelf
life of six months.

Referring to the incident, Dharmaraj said that the officials of the Food Safety department
were not regularly checking the shops to confiscate expired goods. The shopkeepers
weren’t returning the unsold goods after expiry date. Britannia too has done nothing to
withdraw such products. Children and elders are most vulnerable to the resultant health
hazards.

He further informed that he was going to lodge a complaint with the Food Safety
officials.