Expired food items, counterfeit prescription medication, body lotion and other prohibited goods are pictured at a warehouse in Bluff in Durban during a police raid on 20 November 2024.Consumers are urged to pay special attention to the food labelling, the production and best before dates as precautionary measure before buying and consuming food products.disaster of food borne illnesses and contaminated food.
According to the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa, it is important to identify the date markings, nutritional information and allergens before buying a product. The Council’s Food Safety Executive Matlou Setati eleborates, “We always say look at the brand name, name of the product and the address and it must be a physical address it is very critical. Then the date marking is very important in that it tells you when that product was manufactured and when is the best quality buy and that’s what is called the best before date.”A South African food specialist Maphuti Kudu says it is important to start educating children about food labels.