A supermarket in Durban CBD was found to be selling expired food and illegal goods, following a raid by the Metro Police and the Department of Health on Friday.

Brothers Supermarket and Take Away in Anton Lembede Street, formerly known as Smith Street, was raided following complaints about expired food being sold.

Durban Metro Police spokesperson Colonel Boyise Zungu said that during inspection, officers discovered a large quantity of expired baby food, cereals, and porridges, some of which were found displayed for sale.

“The business owner voluntarily surrendered the expired goods to the Department of Health for disposal.

“Authorities also uncovered approximately R70,000 in cash hidden inside a pillow and suspected illegal cigarettes, which have been seized pending verification by Customs officials,” said Zungu.

Zungu further stated that the business was found to have been operating without a valid Business License and Certificate of Acceptability (COA).

“ A total of 73 bags of expired food items were confiscated for safe disposal by DSW, with disposal costs to be borne by the owner.

The inspection confirmed multiple bylaw and health violations,” said Zungu.

This comes as South Africa continues to grapple with food safety concerns. Last year, IOL reported that over a dozen children had died due to suspected food poisoning.

This report came after the tragic incident where five children from Soweto died after consuming snacks bought from a spaza shop owned by foreign nationals. 

The tragic incident sparked widespread protests and the closure of a number of shops in the townships and leading authorities to intensify inspections. 

IOL NEWS

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