Monday, July 15, 2013

Seizures of Counterfeit Foods in Yemen

Since the beginning of the year 2013, more than 57 tons of expired and counterfeit food products, cosmetics and medicines have been destroyed, said Khalid Al-Khwlani, the director of the Industry and Trade office in Sana’a to Yemen Times. There have been 581 documented violations; 522 have been referred for prosecution, he said. 

Eight ice-cream factors in the Dar Salm area have been closed for not meeting safety standards.

“We have established sub-committees in each district to periodically inspect shops and markets until the end of Ramadan,” said Al-Khwlani.

With a weak economy, people are increasingly turning to street vendors and markets for cheaper goods. The influx of people is resulting in more demand for goods, leading to more expired and counterfeit products, said the director of the Consumer Protection Authority, Ali Abdulaziz Al-Haj.

The Capital Secretariat confiscated nearly 50,000 packs of counterfeit chewing gum in Al-Sonaina shopping center in Sana’a. The owner of the shopping center was fined YR 400,000, about $1900.

Counterfeit goods aren’t limited to developing nations such as Yemen. The New York Times recently published an article about the phenomenon: Counterfeit Food More Widespread Than Suspected.

“Around the world, food fraud is an epidemic — in every single country where food is produced or grown, food fraud is occurring,” said Mitchell Weinberg to The New York Times. “Just about every single ingredient that has even a moderate economic value is potentially vulnerable to fraud.”

on 8 July 2013 in Yemen Times

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