Ekurhuleni, South Africa - Residents in the City of Ekurhuleni have been warned to be vigilant when purchasing products from spaza shops, following a series of incidents involving expired or counterfeit goods that have resulted in the death of six children and the hospitalization of several others nationwide.

According to South African Government News Agency, the recent health incidents have prompted intensified food hygiene and safety inspections by the City’s Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) at food handling premises. The city advises residents to only purchase foodstuffs from outlets possessing a Certificate of Acceptability, which is issued after rigorous inspections and confirmation that the premises meet all food safety requirements.

To help the public identify whether food products are safe for consumption, the City has provided guidelines on understanding food packaging dates. These include the 'Date of minimum durability' (Best Before or Best Before End), indicating the end of the period during which the product remains fully marketable. Products marked with "Sell by" or “display until” dates must be removed from shelves after these dates as they are no longer deemed fit for consumption.

Furthermore, products with a “Use By” (Best Consumed Before, recommended last consumption Date, Expiry Date) label signify the end of the estimated period for optimal quality, beyond which the food should not be considered marketable. These products must also be removed from the shelves and not sold for human consumption.

The city has clarified that some foods, such as certain alcoholic products, chewing gum, unpeeled or untreated fruits and vegetables, and sugars, are exempt from date markings. Residents are encouraged to report any instances of shops selling expired or counterfeit products to the City of Ekurhuleni environmental health offices.

The city also cautioned the public against impersonating EHPs by inspecting and seizing foodstuffs from shops. Such actions are considered a violation of the Health Professions Act, 56 of 1974, which prohibits performing acts pertaining to any registerable health profession without proper authorization.