Inspectors find food items with tampered dates in the Free State and KZN

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has found different suppliers in the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal contravened the Consumer Protection Act following market monitoring inspections.

The NCC said the Act “seeks to promote a fair, accessible, and sustainable marketplace for consumer products and services and, for that purpose, establishes the national norms and standards relating to consumer protection”.

“The Act also seeks to provide for improved standards of consumer information; prohibit certain unfair marketing and business practices; promote responsible consumer behaviour and a consistent legislative and enforcement framework relating to consumer transactions and agreements.”

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Inspectors at Free State and KZN

Phetho Ntaba, NCC’s spokesperson, said the inspections were conducted in the Free State at Phuthaditjhaba, Harrismith, Warden, and Vrede from 24 to 26 February 2025.

This was done in collaboration with the Free State Consumer Affairs Office, South African Police Service (Saps) and Environmental Health Practitioners from various municipalities, fire and waste management departments, and the Departments of Labour and the Departments of Home Affairs.

In KwaZulu-Natal, the inspections were done in the Amajuba District Municipality on 27 February 2025.

“The NCC collaborated with the Saps, metro police, environmental health practitioners, and the Kwazulu-Natal consumer affairs office.”

What inspectors found

She added that the suppliers that were inspected included chain stores.

What was discovered by inspectors included:

• Production or manufacturing dates that are with future dates;
• Meat that was stored in refrigerators that were not working;
• Dented cans and leaking pilchards cans;
• Various bags of snacks that had expired or were past date markings;
• Undisclosed ingredients in various bags of snacks;
• Various brands of “energy drinks” that had expired and dates that were tempered with;
• Sweets (wacky sticks) with incomplete ingredient lists and
• Non-display of prices.

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Appropriate steps must be taken

Hardin Ratshisusu, the acting commissioner, said the inspection outcomes in the two provinces are concerning, especially as some suppliers continue to sell unsafe and expired foodstuffs to consumers.

He said appropriate steps must be taken against suppliers that continue to violate the Act, as this puts consumers’ lives at risk.

“The NCC will continue to inspect suppliers of foodstuffs to ensure that consumers are not exposed to harmful foodstuffs.

“Consumers are urged to be vigilant of the foodstuffs they buy as unsafe foodstuffs are potentially harmful.”

The risk of contravening the Act

The prioritisation of inspecting stores, especially spaza shops, started last year in October following the death of six children in Naledi, Soweto.

Since then, these inspections have revealed that some spaza shops do not adhere to date markings and still have food on their shelves past the sell-by or use-by/expiry dates.

Some goods were also unlabelled, and some were labelled in foreign languages, such as Mandarin, with unclear or no information on ingredients.

“If the NCC finds that suppliers are contravening the CPA, the matters can be referred to the National Consumer Tribunal for prosecution, and the suppliers can face an administrative penalty of up to R1 million or 10% of their turnover.”

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