• Home
• /
• Entertainment

CHIPS PACKETS LAY FAMILY LOW

Despite Ajman Municipality's claim that it had intensified food inspection campaigns targeting food outlets and manufacturers, a large quantity of Lay's chips packets which had crossed the expiry date, was allegedly sold to children by an EPPCO gas station in the emirate.

Speaking to City Times, Suhail Al Kutabi, whose children consumed the Lays chips, said he bought five packets of the chips from an Eppco gas station in Ajman yesterday. He discovered that the validity of the chips was only till October 25, 2005, only after his children consumed all of it. "This had both me and my wife worried about the health of our children," he said.

"I returned to the gas station and informed them about the expiry date of the chips. They immediately removed the chips from the shelf, but I am not sure whether they destroyed the packets," he said.

Blaming Ajman Municipality for not carrying out inspection effectively, Kutabi said they probably targetted only smaller outlets and cafeterias, but went lax when it came to big outlets and supermarkets presuming they would not violate rules. Mohammed Jamal, shift in-charge of Eppco, said the continuance of expired food item on the shelves and selling them was a mistake committed by one of the shift staff. The outlet staff work in three shifts since the gas station is open 24 hours and it could be an oversight on the part of one of the shift staff in not removing the expired product, he said.

However, he said the Lays chips packets which had crossed the expiry date had been withdrawn from the shelves and the unsold quantity returned to the company.

Dr Mohammed Attia, Head of the Health Section of Ajman Municipality, said the civic body had not received any complaint from any consumer regarding such chips.

"There is a 24 hour Emergency Services Section with staff available througout the day to receive complaints from public over the phone on 06-7437030. Once a complaint is received, the duty inspectors will immediatelly proceed to investigate the case and warn or fine the violator and confisicate the product," he said.

"The inspectors of the section monitor all food outlets including gas stations by making regular inspection visits to all food shops, cafeterias and restaurants, and they make an entry in a book kept in the premises that the place had been inspected," he said, adding that food outlets are expected to store expired items in a separate place before informing the municipality to withdraw and destroy such food items.