Do customers check for expiration dates before purchase? – RGG

The rising importance of consumer preferences for fresh, sustainable products has brought to the fore the importance of expiration dates, especially in the food and beverage industry.

As the festive season gathers momentum, shoppers across the country have been cautioned to check the expiry dates on any products they purchase.

However, a sampling shows that they don’t often check the expiry dates on products unless the packaging looks suspicious.

A consumer, Ruth Essien said she checks the expiry dates on a product only when she notices the packaging is “cracked or there’s a leakage but it also depends on the type of product I’m buying.”

Also, a consumer who gave his name as Larbi said he barely checks the expiry dates on fizzy drinks but for packaged products like meat he critically looks for the date.

“Sometimes it’s in my mind to check but it skips me. If something in my mind prompts me to check, I do check but not often and I’m sure it’s not only me because the majority of people we hardly check for expiry date,” he said.

Another consumer, Abraham Kelly said he does not check the expiry dates on the products he purchases however the sensitization exercise by the RGG News will cause him to pay more attention to the expiry and manufacturing dates on products.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has cautioned the general public about the purchase of expired goods that may be on the market during this festive season.

The Ashanti Regional Manager of the GSA Mr Samuel Kofi Frimpong who gave caution in an interview on Rainbow radio and monitored by RGG News said “At Christmas, people tend to sell their goods at very reduced prices, and many of these goods are expired. If you are buying the product you should critically check the expiration dates to see when the product will expire before you buy.”