Raid for spoiled food in Padang

PADANG (JP): The West Sumatra administration is raiding food shops to locate spoiled food items packed in Idul Fitri gift packages. Idul Fitri falls on Jan. 19.

The office of the Ministry of Health here said the raid was aimed at preventing a repetition of last year's incidents in which spoiled food in a number of gift packages was found to be inedible.

Some of the food was poisoned, head of the office, Rasyidah Rasyid, said. She charged there were traders who deliberately sold foodstuff in gift packages that had past its expiry date.

She said she has received many complaints from consumers who had found such items in packages.

She added such traders knew that most consumers do not inspect the foodstuff, mostly packed in tins, bottles and cartons. Rasyidah charged that such traders usually remove labels informing potential customers when the food expires.

Her office, she said, has found several offending food items in retail stores and has had the products sealed. (28/29)