Effa Tambenkongho
11 March 2008
Some clients complain that a few supermarkets still sell expired goods.
Many supermarkets are springing up in big towns all over the country in spite of growth of local foodstuff markets. In Douala, new supermarkets occupy strategic areas almost every year. This is as a result of the growing number of customers they receive in spite of the difference in prices.
It is no secret that the prices of goods in supermarkets are generally higher than in local foodstuff markets. Cameroon Tribune talked to three classes of people who gave reasons why they prefer to buy from supermarkets. For some people they just want to be different, they want to buy ostentatious goods. The second class of people said it is because they do not have time to go to the local markets where goods are spread out in stalls or on the grown. The last group was the group which believed everything sold in the supermarket is perfect. They may be getting it all wrong, because most of the supermarkets put up goods that expired on their shelves. But the few who care to check the goods they buy from supermarkets are sometimes surprised when they look at the expiry date.
The trick in many supermarkets is that they drop down prices of goods which have expired or whose expiry date was close. This reporter entered a top level supermarket in Douala and discovered the meat sold was putrefied and was still left in the fridge for people to buy. Talking to the Divisional Delegate of Commerce for Wouri, Eboumbou Carole, she said they have a team of inspectors who go to the markets and supermarkets daily for inspection. She added that they also work in collaboration with non governmental organizations which protect the consumer's rights. These NGOs she said sometimes gives them information on expired products. Only officials of the Ministry of Commerce are authorized to destroy goods that have expired shelve lifespan or withdraw them from the markets. Another committee, she said, is in charge of destroying the goods.
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