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Containers from Canada with ‘substandard’ food denied entry into Guyana

-legal action to be taken by Gov’t Analyst against importer

Rice Krispies treats with sticker and Rice Krispies treats with sticker removed [GA-FDD photo)
Rice Krispies treats with sticker and Rice Krispies treats with sticker removed (GA-FDD photo)

Four containers of assorted food items which were imported from Canada were denied entry into Guyana by the Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) and the department is preparing to institute legal proceedings against the importer, an East Coast Demerara businessman.

 

The announcement was made yesterday afternoon via a press release issued by the Department.

The importer is Faizal Asif Iqbal Alli of Lot 83 Mon Repos Housing Scheme, ECD.

The release said that a decision was made to extract and examine the items from the containers following several consumer complaints, “many” attempts by the department’s inspectors to conduct inspections and locate several bonds operated by Alli and against the backdrop of allegations of alleged malpractices perpetrated by Alli.

The release stated that detailed examinations and sampling of the container’s contents were carried out on 25th October and 30th October, 2019 during which several findings were unearthed.

These include: Expiry dates deliberately removed and extended with a date marking machine, the damaged area on boxes where the original date was removed is now concealed using a sticker bearing a Canadian flag, some products were deliberately removed from the original container or packages and placed into bulk containers void of labeling details; all suspected to be expired or short dated, expiry dates were removed on other products and extended using a date marking machine, most, if not all items of food were close dated with less than 75% of the shelf life remaining before importation and some items were labelled with misleading information e.g. Acetic Acid was labelled as “White Vinegar”.

The containers, according to the release were refused entry in keeping with art II Section 6. (1) of the laws of Guyana Food and Drug Act Chapter 34:0 and as required by regulation Part 1. 11. (3) of the Food and Drug Regulation.

It further stated that inspections will be “urgently” carried out at retail premises across the country since two of containers bearing substandard items were electronically released from the port of entry without the department’s consent or approval.

 

“Inspectors subsequently visited Mr Alli premises …and reported that none of the items could (be) located,” the release added.

“The Department will now exchange communication and details of this practice with the Canadian Food Exporters Association, which attested to the wholesomeness of the products on a Health Certificate that was used to facilitate the trade of the items from Canada to Guyana,” it added.

When Stabroek News spoke to Alli last evening at his business premises, he said he is being penalized for something he has no knowledge of.

The businessman said for all the years he has been in business he has been providing items countrywide and he has never received any complaints from any of his customers.

“…Nobody never complain. I have tons of customers,” he said.

Rather, he said whenever there are reports of expired products, an exchange is done and he disposes of them.

Alli also said that he only has one bond which he operates and not several as is being claimed by the department.

The Department said that legal proceedings will now be instituted by its prosecutor against Alli for allegedly knowingly or deliberately facilitating the importation and release of substandard articles of food to be used by the general populace of Guyana.

 

Details of this practice, the release said will be shared at the department’s National Food Safety and Control Committee Meeting (NFSCCM) which will be hosted on 12th November.

Inspectors, will also be tasked to carry out detailed inspections and sensitization in their respected regions across the country.

 

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Products coming from China are made with dangerous chemicals, example toothpaste and toys, many times they lie on their packaging.  Go down Water and Regent Streets , most of the products are Knock Offs or inferior. A few years ago, on a trip to China, I bought a bottle of one ltr JW Black Whiskey for $10.00 US on the street, the label , bottle colour looked the same, but when opened back at the hotel , it smelled different and tasted like cheap whiskey, I believed it was made of rice wine alcohol .

K
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

I got to make some calls tonight.  I think I know this banna.

Tell he rass not to send dollar store food to Guyana. Ban he rass from exporting to Guyana. 

FM

Since when Guyana's government is so concerned about quality control. They been exporting  coke in fish,pepper sauce,  in lumber , in Coconut.  

Do you really think the look at expired dates on products, for example the bakeries in Guyana  don't place expired dates on their products.

K
Sean posted:
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

I got to make some calls tonight.  I think I know this banna.

Tell he rass not to send dollar store food to Guyana. Ban he rass from exporting to Guyana. 

How come it is legal to sell dollar store food in Canada, Guyana must have HIGH standards.

K
kp posted:

Since when Guyana's government is so concerned about quality control. They been exporting  coke in fish,pepper sauce,  in lumber , in Coconut.  

Do you really think the look at expired dates on products, for example the bakeries in Guyana  don't place expired dates on their products.

No need to. The signs of mildew is sufficient. 

FM
ksazma posted:
kp posted:

Since when Guyana's government is so concerned about quality control. They been exporting  coke in fish,pepper sauce,  in lumber , in Coconut.  

Do you really think the look at expired dates on products, for example the bakeries in Guyana  don't place expired dates on their products.

No need to. The signs of mildew is sufficient. 

Ow man, not fair. In Guyana bread is usually sold the same day it's baked or a day later the most. Cakes too are off the shop shelves within 3 days. No need for expiry dates.

FM

Cole seeks greater regulatory oversight following bust of substandard food shipment

-containers to be returned to Canada for investigation

Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Lilian Chatterjee
Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Lilian Chatterjee

The disclosure earlier this week by the Government Analyst-Food & Drugs Department (GAFDD) that four containers of “substandard” food items imported from Canada had been cleared for export by documentation purportedly issued by that country’s state-run Canadian Food Inspection Agency has been followed by a letter to the Agency by GAFDD Director Marlan Cole calling on it to exercise “greater regulatory oversight and /or scrutiny for items facilitated bearing your approval as wholeness from Canada to Guyana”.

 

The letter, a copy of which has been seen by this newspaper and which has also been copied to Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Lilian Chatterjee asserts that “on the dates of October 2, September 18, 25 & 26, respectively, Free Sale/Health Certificate documents were signed by your department on behalf of Mr. Faizal Ali to ship four (4) containers bearing assorted items of Food to Guyana.” The letter goes on to state that the containers “were subjected to examination at the port of entry by Inspectors… and it was discovered that substandard items of food attested to by your department were in the container imported by Mr. Faizal Ali.”

 

Or

K

I believe Bedesse Importers is involved in tampering with the date. It’s time the Canadian Media knows of this and expose the culprits. 

I reached out to my friend who owns a Caribbean  newspaper in Canada,  if he will carry the article, he said no because he will not get Bedesse advertisement 😡. 

 

FM
Baseman posted:

Why coolies always have to get into crookishness!

Bai Coolies very crooked. Only thing is that they don't force you to participate in their crookedness. It is not like dem other people who rob you without giving you the choice whether you want to be robbed or not.

FM

Canada’s food safety agency says didn’t provide certificate for seized containers

November 13, 2019

Source

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) yesterday said that it was not involved in certifying  the four containers of assorted food items which were denied entry into Guyana by the Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) last week.

“The CFIA investigated and can confirm that the certificate was not issued by the CFIA. The Canadian company identified on the certificate is not licensed by the CFIA and is not authorized to receive export certificates from the CFIA,” the agency said in a statement sent to Stabroek News.

It noted that the document which accompanied the shipment is a Manufacturer’s Declaration which CFIA stopped using as of January 15, 2019.

CFIA also said that the inspector who signed the certificate is not employed with them.

The agency noted that they are in contact with Guyanese authorities to review the ways they can verify they are receiving authentic certificates from CFIA-licensed facilities.

The CFIA declaration will raise questions about the validity of paperwork for the shipment and why this was not detected as inauthentic.

Last Wednesday, the GA-FDD had announced that the containers of food items which were imported from Canada by businessman Faizal Asif Iqbal Alli of Lot 83 Mon Repos Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara were denied entry into Guyana.

The press release had said that a decision was made to extract and examine the items from the containers following several consumer complaints, “many” attempts by the department’s inspectors to conduct inspections and locate several bonds operated by Alli and against the backdrop of allegations of alleged malpractices perpetrated by Alli.

The release further stated that detailed examinations and sampling of the container’s contents were carried out on October 25th and October 30th, during which several findings were unearthed.

These include: Expiry dates deliberately removed and extended with a date marking machine; repackaging of some products from the original container or packages into bulk containers void of labelling details; expired or short dated expiry dates were removed on some products and extended using a date marking machine; most, if not all items of food were close dated with less than 75% of the shelf life remaining before importation; and some items were labelled with misleading information, e.g. Acetic Acid was labelled as “White Vinegar”.

The GA-FDD had further stated that inspections would be “urgently” carried out at retail premises across the country since two of the containers bearing substandard items were electronically released from the port of entry without the department’s consent or approval.

“Inspectors subsequently visited Mr Alli premises …and reported that none of the items could (be) located,” the release added.

“The Department will now exchange communication and details of this practice with the Canadian Food Exporters Association, which attested to the wholesomeness of the products on a Health Certificate that was used to facilitate the trade of the items from Canada to Guyana,” it had added.

The Department had also said that legal proceedings would be instituted by its prosecutor against Alli for allegedly knowingly or deliberately facilitating the importation and release of substandard articles of food to be used by the general populace of Guyana.

On Friday, Alli in a letter from his attorney Anil Nandlall denied the allegations of malpractice levelled against him by the GA-FDD while threatening legal action against the entity

“I am to inform you that my client specifically and categorically denies each and every allegation which you have made against him and the products which he has imported. I am instructed that my client has been importing a wide variety of food items, beverages and other consumables on a large-scale basis, for over a decade and with the exception of a singular incident, has never been the subject of such allegations,” Nandlall had written in the letter.

Nandlall also said that the allegations were not only levelled against Alli but also leading international companies as well as two public authorities, the Canada Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada.

“The businesses and agencies, to which I have made reference [and] whose goodwill, commercial reputation and professional competence are impugned by your public disclosures have been duly apprised and, presumably, will be contacting you and your Department, in due course on that specific issue,” the letter stated.

He also copied correspondences by some of the Canadian distributors of the products, who challenged the GA-FDD’s findings.

Django
Dave posted:

I believe Bedesse Importers is involved in tampering with the date. It’s time the Canadian Media knows of this and expose the culprits. 

I reached out to my friend who owns a Caribbean  newspaper in Canada,  if he will carry the article, he said no because he will not get Bedesse advertisement 😡. 

 

 

People should boycott companies which are caught tempering with and altering dates on their products.

As Base seh, some Kulie crookish. 

FM
ksazma posted:
Baseman posted:

Why coolies always have to get into crookishness!

Bai Coolies very crooked. Only thing is that they don't force you to participate in their crookedness. It is not like dem other people who rob you without giving you the choice whether you want to be robbed or not.

Now Kaz that makes no sense. You saying Indos crooked but they don't rob anyone?

cain
cain posted:
ksazma posted:
Baseman posted:

Why coolies always have to get into crookishness!

Bai Coolies very crooked. Only thing is that they don't force you to participate in their crookedness. It is not like dem other people who rob you without giving you the choice whether you want to be robbed or not.

Now Kaz that makes no sense. You saying Indos crooked but they don't rob anyone?

Stay focus bai. I said that they don't force anyone to be involved in their crookedness. Unlike blacks who does break into peoples' houses and businesses as well as choke and rob them. Even in America there are shady businesses but people aren't forced to participate if they are not so inclined.

FM
ksazma posted:

Bai Coolies very crooked. Only thing is that they don't force you to participate in their crookedness. It is not like dem other people who rob you without giving you the choice whether you want to be robbed or not.

is it juss me . . . or is dis definitely wan very special, special (special needs?) post?

lol

FM
kp posted:

Products coming from China are made with dangerous chemicals, example toothpaste and toys, many times they lie on their packaging.  Go down Water and Regent Streets , most of the products are Knock Offs or inferior. A few years ago, on a trip to China, I bought a bottle of one ltr JW Black Whiskey for $10.00 US on the street, the label , bottle colour looked the same, but when opened back at the hotel , it smelled different and tasted like cheap whiskey, I believed it was made of rice wine alcohol .

Some Venezuelans died from using Chinese toothpaste a few years ago.  The Chinese put anti freeze in the tooth paste. 

Prashad

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