BY: LATONYA ROBERTS 

Journal Staff Writer

The Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) visited 14 food stores only to find nearly half the suppliers were in violation of consumer rights. The investigation came after the commission received an increase of complaints by consumers of merchants selling expired or outdated products. 

On Monday, Senator Randy Rolle, executive director of the CPC held a press conference to release more information about their findings at several grocers throughout the capital. 

“We conducted inspections of over 14 food stores and grocers in response to a significant number of consumer complaints and alarmingly nearly half of these grocers were found to have violated some form of consumer protection standards. One major issue we discovered was the lack of clear labelling of baked goods and fruits regarding their best by dates.”

He also said “consumers should never have to guess whether products are still safe to eat. If stores chose to reduce prices based on these dates this information should be displayed to avoid confusion.”

Besides food stores, Senator Rolle said they also discovered a few stores that sold medications to be in breach of selling expired items, such as over the counter medication. 

“Beyond grocery stores we observe that some of the over the hill counter medication in drug stores were outdated which also poses a health risk. To address these violations, we intend to leverage existing laws to compel retailers to improve their practices. We are also recommending to government through our minister to establish fixed penalties, creating a straighter forward process for imposing fines on those who violate these standards.”

However, those comments caused the Bahamas Pharmaceutical Association to raise its eyebrows. They said in several dailies that they were never informed by the CPC about these violations. That caused the CPC to release a press statement stating that they were never targeting pharmacies.

“The Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) wishes to address and clarify recent comments published in two local dailies regarding the Bahamas Pharmaceutical Association. We regret that any statement from our Monday press conference may have been taken out of context, leading to misunderstandings about our intentions. At the press conference, CPC representatives discussed the importance of collaboration with various stakeholders and emphasized our commitment to engaging in educational campaigns that encourage businesses to uphold best practices. Our goal is to work cooperatively with all entities to ensure the highest standards for Bahamian consumers.”

Alfred Taylor Deputy Manager of the Complaints and Investigations Department of the CPC said the commission has collected  approximately $117,00 from several service providers from 2023 to the current date. 

““I’ve noticed that there’s always a large number of complaints as it relates to consumer rights and unfair trade practices. Some providers engage in these practices and advise consumers that they have no recourse. As an investigator here at the CPC, we look into those matters, and we try to bring some resolution.”

The CPC said they will continue to inspect grocers, beauty supply stores, hardware stores and courier companies as they said these merchants have relaxed their standards.