WATCH: Expired food and counterfeit cigarettes confiscated across Kempton Park

Hundreds of expired food items and more than 400 packs of counterfeit cigarettes were confiscated from ten spaza shops across Kempton Park last week, reports Kempton Express.

The food items included baby food that was seven months past its expiry date. Other items included sauces, sweets, chips, cereals, and cold drinks.

The illegal cigarette packs had branding such as “Savannah”, “Mega”, and “Sahawi”.

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“We worked in conjunction with the metro police to investigate these shops,” Clr Desmond Mckenzie told Express on Friday afternoon.

According to him, the project was initiated after members of the community complained about items some shops were selling.

“We have asked the health inspector to close these shops,” Mckenzie added. “Charges will also be made against those selling illegal cigarettes, selling expired goods, and not having licences.”

Shops were also raided of counterfeit cigarettes. In total, the metro found about 400 packs.

Baby food seven months past its expiry date was among the items still being sold in local spaza shops.

One metro officer inquired on site as to what would happen if a child, or anyone else, bought something from these shops without looking at the expiry date, lamenting that it could make the community ill.

The confiscated items were destroyed.

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