Wholesaler sells sweets that EXPIRED in January 2024: City Council says it's YOUR responsibility to check expiry dates before buying!

A Lotus River grandmother, Avril Masters, found herself in a sticky situation after purchasing what she thought would be a sweet Christmas treat for her great-grandchildren, only to discover the chocolates were almost a year past their expiry date.

The incident occurred last Wednesday at Sweet Xpress in Ottery, a Cash ‘n Carry store where Masters is a regular customer.

Masters purchased four Kinder Creamy Milk and Crunchy chocolates, paying R4.99 each for a total of R19.95. She recalls asking about the low price, given the typically higher cost of imported chocolates, but received only a blank stare in response. It wasn't until she arrived home that she noticed the expiry date: 8 January 2024.

“I often buy at Sweet Xpress. I buy the children’s juices and sweets like jub-jubs from there but the other sweets did not have expiry dates. I only realised the Kinder Creamy Milk and Crunchy’s are expired when I got home. Luckily we did not eat it yet and I threw the bloody stuff away,” she explained.

The store, Sweet Xpress, maintains that they clearly display signage informing customers that they sell "dated stock."

A store manager, who declined to provide his name, confirmed that they have items with approaching expiry dates but insisted on the presence of prominent posters alerting customers to this practice.

"We have a few items which are short dated but there are big posters saying they do sell dated stuff," he stated.

However, Masters vehemently denies seeing any such posters. This discrepancy leaves the responsibility squarely in the spotlight. The City of Cape Town's stance is that customers bear the ultimate responsibility for checking sell-by dates before purchasing.

Mayco Member for Community Services and Health, Patricia van der Ross, elaborated on the legal aspects of expired goods. She clarified that South African legislation doesn't specifically address expired goods but rather focuses on "best before," "use by," or "sell by" dates, which indicate durability.

Van der Ross explained: “It is important to note that, with regard to shelf stable goods, i.e. items that do not require refrigeration, food items could still be safe to use, but the nutritional value, taste, texture and colour may diminish after the best before date. Perishables and cold chain goods should not be sold past the use-by dates.

"Where Environmental Health Practitioners come across foodstuffs that they believe may pose a danger to health if consumed they are mandated by law, to seize such goods; although such instances occur very rarely. Dated products are purchased and used at customers’ own discretion and it remains the customer’s responsibility to check the dates of durability before purchasing.”

Consuming sweets significantly past their expiry date, even if labelled "dated products," carries potential health risks, although the severity varies depending on the type of sweet and storage conditions. It's not a simple "usually not harmful" situation.

Here's a breakdown of the potential risks:

• Loss of Quality: The most common effect is a deterioration in taste and texture. The sweets may become stale, hard, or develop an unpleasant flavour. This is generally not a health concern, but it makes them unappealing to eat.
• Bacterial Growth: While sweets themselves are not ideal breeding grounds for bacteria due to their low moisture content and high sugar concentration, contamination can occur if the packaging is damaged or if the sweets were improperly stored. Bacteria, moulds, or yeasts could grow, leading to spoilage and potential illness. This risk increases significantly with time past the expiry date.
• Chemical Changes: Over time, the chemical composition of the sweets can change. This might lead to the formation of harmful compounds or a reduction in the effectiveness of preservatives. The specific changes depend on the ingredients.
• Allergen Changes: Some sweets contain allergens. The expiry date doesn't necessarily indicate when allergens become less potent but the degradation of the product might increase the risk of allergic reactions.

In the case of sweets almost 12 months past their expiry date: The risk of spoilage and the presence of harmful compounds is considerably higher. While some sweets might appear and taste fine, the chances of bacterial contamination or undesirable chemical changes are substantial. The "give-away price" is not worth the potential health risks.

Recommendation: It's best to avoid consuming sweets that are significantly past their expiry date. The potential health risks outweigh the cost savings. While some might argue that "nothing happened" after consuming such sweets, this doesn't negate the potential dangers. One instance of illness is enough to justify avoiding the risk. If you're unsure, err on the side of caution and dispose of the sweets.