Five major entities, 32 retailers discovered with fake products

fake productsGeorgetown: The reported influx of counterfeit products on the local market continues to see the Government Analyst–Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) taking action against defaulters and, according to agency Director Marlan Cole, some 37 companies were found to be in violation so far for the year.

Of the 37 businesses found to be selling fake products, five were major entities and 32 were retail outlets.

The measures taken included seizing and removing the fake goods from premises, withholding the processing of licences for businesses until there was compliance and the interception of shipment of counterfeit products.

So far, no court action has been taken against defaulters.

The GA-FDD is empowered by the Food and Drug Act of 1971 and its accompanying regulation of 1977, which gives it the power to enter any premises at any time to take action.

“It also gives us the power to seize, destroy and confiscate drugs and pharmaceuticals etc. It also gives us the power to examine labels and to give licences to manufacturers, importers and distributors,” Cole said.

The Director had told this publication just over a week ago that the discovery of fake items in circulation on the market was just “the tip of the iceberg” and had noted that more counterfeit products were surfacing on the market.

“We are finding a lot more counterfeit products on the market, including Fabuloso and Aji-no-moto, so we cannot afford to remain indifferent, but have to act before this situation gets out of hand.”

It was noted by Cole that bogus goods are coming in not only from China, but from other parts of Asia as well as the Middle East.

Asked whether the department was getting the necessary support from stakeholders to effectively tackle the upsurge of counterfeit products on the market, Cole said the support could be better.

The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), in a press release recently, called on Government to adequately provide the necessary resources for the GA-FDD as well as the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) to police the markets more thoroughly and to find and destroy counterfeit products and goods smuggled into the country.

Cole agreed that there needs to be more collaboration, especially with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and noted that the GA-FDD is prepared to act where necessary. “We have to try as much as possible to get it right, how we do it and when. We have the mechanism to adequately execute our duties, providing there is no interference…”

Another issue the Director had spoken about was goods entering Guyana from Latin and North America without the proper labelling. “Some of these products have their labels in foreign languages and so consumers are sometimes unable to read the health and safety precautions.”

It was therefore timely that a Food Nutritional Labelling and Water Testing Workshop was held on June 10-13 at the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST) building, University of Guyana. The workshop was held by the GA-FDD in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).

The workshop attracted 42 participants from the GA-FDD; the Guyana National Bureau of Standards; the City Public Health Department; the Food and Drug Department; the Environmental Health Unit and the Veterinary and Public Health Unit.

“We are basically inundated right now with counterfeit items on the market so this training could not have been more timely, she said, adding: “Our first line of defence as an agency to counteract counterfeit items is by looking at the labels because the counterfeiters make a lot of mistakes where labelling is concerned.”

He noted too that because of the increase in non-communicable diseases such as cancer, hypertension, diabetes and obesity, Government has to ensure that the population is educated on the use of processed foods that are high in sugar, fat and salt.

“Our officers, those from the Food and Drug Department and those in the outlying regions, need to know how to properly read a label. So they form that gap between the producers and the consumers. We must be able to attest or to check, be it by examination or be it by analysis, the nutritional contents in addition to what claims are being made, including health claims. We must be able to determine, based on experience and the content, what it is.”

The workshop also attracted persons from the food and drug regulatory body in Jamaica, a nutritional and labelling specialist from Nestle Jamaica and Professor Marvin Reid from Tropical Research Institute, University of the West Indies.