Spaza Shop saga has SPAR distinguishing product dates
Amidst the many raids of spaza shops around South Africa where authorities are finding counterfeit groceries and medicines, SPAR has decided to share the differences between food production dates.
The country is facing major mayhem as spaza shops around South Africa have been found selling foods that need to meet the quality standards of the Health department.
Many scholars have been victims of food poisoning based on products they have purchased at Spaza shops. Due to this, local retailer SPAR has decided to raise awareness about the differences between sell-by, best-before, and use-by dates in food products.
Some might assume that each of these means the same thing, but the truth is that they are different. It is vital for us to understand the key differences because it determines whether it is safe to consume or not.
"The cost of living has been financially crippling for many South Africans, therefore making shoppers opt for more affordable food products– food labelling is the least of their concerns." (IOL)
This has forced many households to purchase daily supplies from "non-compliant spaza shops, " causing massive health and safety concerns.
The use-by date is indicative as to when the product has reached its peak quality and this date serves as a safety measure. If the consumer eats an item that has passed its use-by date this may lead to health risks.
"The best-before date on food packaging notifies the customers that the quality of the food product will decline past the scheduled date. However, it does not pose a risk after consumption." (IOL)
The sell-by date refers to the product's shelf life and doesn't refer to product safety.
The sell-by date helps the retailer understand how long the product may be sold to customers.
The differentiations help us understand what we should look for as consumers when shopping. But that's not all; with the rise in these counterfeit products, there are certain 'telltales' that we can look out for or, at the very least, be aware of.
Watch the video below from TikTok that shows the differences between an original Bonnita long-life milk and one that has been mimicked to look like the real one.
@phezukwabo1 My question is , is their milk tested before they put it on the shelves ? What do you guys think ? im also starting to think these things are the reason why people are getting sick 😭. #spaza #foodpoisoning #tiktoksouthafrica🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 #viral #SAMA28 #foryoupagee #southafrica #explore #fyp #trending #sama30 #milk #foodtok ♬ original sound - Phezu kwabo
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