Two Gauteng butcheries caught selling expired meat

Gauteng’s community safety MEC Faith Mazibuko made another shocking discovery when two Roots butcheries were found to be selling expired meat products.

The raids were made at two outlets on Thursday – Eyethu Mall in Orange Farm and Evaton Mall.

Mazibuko, who was accompanied by Gauteng provincial commissioner Lieutenant-Colonel Elias Mawela, was acting on a tip-off about butcheries in the province selling expired meat products.

In Eyethu Mall, police removed packets of chicken gizzards, necks and livers, and margarine containers.

The team later headed to another Roots outlet in Evaton, where they found packets of expired chicken pieces, Russian sausages with no expiry dates, and a filthy trolley loaded with unpacked Russian sausages.

Mazibuko promised that action would be taken against the owners of the two butcheries.

“Butcheries in Gauteng are taking advantage of our people. I think they are taking advantage because many people don’t check expiry dates when they buy. What is bad is that the purpose of having an expiry date is to work within a regulatory timeframe of when to keep in your fridge.

“Our worry is that our people are buying meat not to cook immediately, but to keep it stored in their fridges at home. The importance of getting butcheries to have a proper expiry date and to comply with the health standard, temperature of the fridge and the lifespan of meat.

“We have been receiving complaints about Roots butcheries selling expired meat, and meat products without expiry dates,” said Mazibuko.

One of the owners acted shocked during the bust. They avoided the media and declined to comment, opting to disappear at the back of the establishment. Before disappearing to the back, they promised Mazibuko that they would comply with the regulations.

Last week, Mazibuko and Mawela also found a butchery near Bara taxi rank, which was selling expired meat products.

The owner of that butchery was later arrested and all the expired meat products, including scores of cow heads, were removed from the store.

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