FOOD and beverages that have expired can be sold at a 50% discount, but they must be clearly labeled as intended only for animal consumption, Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Office Director John Tagabuel said.
Moreover, only food products that have expired within the past three months are permitted for sale, he added.
“These goods are not for human consumption,” he reiterated, “and it should be marked as ‘For Animal Consumption Only’ and should be sold at a 50% discounted price. Due to health risks, we do not recommend the consumption of expired food and beverage,” he added.
He said goods that have expired more than three months ago should be disposed of. It is against the law to sell or even display them, he added.
Grocery stores that fail to comply with health regulations will be subject to fines and may even face closure, Variety learned.
Some grocery stores sell expired products without labeling them as “for animal consumption only.”
Other stores include products in a “clearance sale” without indicating that the items are expired or about to expire.
“I feel it is deceiving to say that expired goods are ‘on sale’ during a ‘clearance sale’ without informing us that those items are already expired,” a resident told Variety.
A store owner in Garapan said they were not aware that expired goods should have a note that states that they are only for animals.
“There are so many items on our shelves that have expired,” another store owner said. “It will be a waste to just throw them.”
Tagabuel is encouraging community members to report stores that sell goods that have expired more than three months ago, and those that do not properly label the expired goods as fit for animal consumption only.
The EHDP hotline numbers are (670) 664-4667 or (670) 664-4870/2/3.
