From Adanna Nnamani, Tunde Ezu and Esther Akwete, Abuja
Sandra Enete, a corps member, was enjoying a soft drink with friends at a neighbourhood bar in Bassa, a village off Airport Road, Abuja, when she noticed that it had an odd flavour she wasn’t accustomed to.
When she asked her companions if their beverages had similar odd flavour, they all said no.
She put on her phone’s torchlight to examine the bottle, and what she saw astounded her. There were particles in the beverage with resemblance of spirogyra.
She checked the expiration details only to see that the drink had expired over six months before. She called the attention of the bar owner who shifted the blame to suppliers. Enete spent the next couple of days treating chronic diarrhoea connected to food poisoning.
That was one of the many of nasty experiences consumers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) go through on daily basis.
The case could either be milder or worse, but the fact remains that it is disturbing how frequently, expired goods, particularly consumables like drinks, processed meals, and medicines, are sold in marketplaces and stores.
Cases of purchasing expired products were even worse at roadside markets, especially at night and in heavy traffics. Traders sell all manners of expired and damaged products to unsuspecting customers knowing that it would be hard to trace them back to them.
Kenny Adams, a resident, revealed: “I have bought so many expired edible products before. I bought some without even knowing that they had expired while some I later found out when I checked the empty containers.
“I once bought a drug from the pharmacy and found out it had expired.
I went to complain to the pharmacist that the drug had expired but because it was already opened they did not collect it back. It is only very few of them that will collect such from complaints.
“My advice to consumers is that they should always check the expiration date to ensure it is not close before buying from the retailers. The retailers should also do the same while buying from wholesalers because it has side effects. So, it is better not to buy when the date is close to the expiring date.”
Another resident, Exodus Ade, lamented: “Taking an expired drink I bought was the worst. It was an awful experience. I got to find out after tasting the drink. The taste was awkward and sour I had to throw it away.
“I did not go back to complain. I felt it was not the fault of the retailer. I think retailers should always do proper check before buying or selling their products out to individuals for the safety of the consumers and the retailers as well.”
Raymond Amos: “I have bought an expired product and the experience was not nice because I felt like I was duped. I usually take them back to the place I buy them if it is close by. If it is not, I just throw it away.
“Sometimes I know it is not the fault of the retailers. Since they buy lots of products, they might check some and sometimes not have time to check at all. Some might have been in their shops for a long time and they might forget to check the date and just sell it to customers.
“When a retailer wants to sell, he/she should check the dates to confirm before selling the products. The consumer should also check before buying the product. It is also my fault because I don’t remember to check every time.”
Another consumer, Miracle Ahmed, narrated: “Most times, I have bought expired carbonated drinks from road side sellers. One of my experiences was very bad.
“I was very thirsty that day and could not get water. I had to buy a bottle of soda water. Due to the sunny weather I did not bother checking the date before gulping it to half.
“I started having stomach pain on getting home. When I decided to take the remaining drink, I found out that it had small particles settled under. I had to take drugs because such could be very bad for the human system.
“I was not the only one that bought that exact drink from the seller.
Ever since, I have been very conscious in checking expiry dates. I advise that before anyone buys an edible product, they should check the dates of expiration.”
Mrs Abimbola Odeyale, narrated: “I have bought expired products several times. I remember buying a pack of drink from a shop for my daughter in boarding school. The drinks had expired and we were not aware until I called her. She informed me that the drink I bought had expired to the extent of removing mucus.
“It was painful because most times we go to shops, instead of buying on the roadside, thinking we would get a better product. At the end what you are afraid of will still happen. Ever since then, I learnt my lesson to always check dates of whatever products I buy.
“When it is a month before the expiry date I don’t buy it. I make sure it is at least three months away from the expiry date. Most of these retailers after buying the products at lower rate hoard them in anticipation of price increase.
“This is where corruption starts. Wholesalers or retailers should stop hoarding products. They sell at the right time for the good of everyone.”