Two traders, who allegedly embossed new expiry dates on expired products to sell to the public, on Wednesday, appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
Dina Abbey, 37, has been charged with the sale of goods, which were deceptive to the consumer and Kwame Owusu, 32, is being held for labelling food, which was deceptive to consumer.
They have pleaded not guilty to the charges and the court has admitted them to bail in the sum of GH¢ 40,000, with two sureties each to reappear on May 17.
The prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) C.K. Abadamlora, told the court that, on April 21, this year, officers from the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) assisted by Police personnel embarked on a surveillance operation at Tudu and arrested the accused persons for selling and labelling food products to deceive consumers.
During investigations, it was disclosed that about three weeks earlier, Dina purchased 150 cartons of Elle Vire Dairy Baby Food from a warehouse at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, which had four days to expire, at a low price.
The prosecutor said Dina, who could not dispose all the stock within the four days, employed the services of Owusu, who erased the
old expiry dates from the products with nail polish remover and embossed new expiry dates on the products.
The prosecutor said the products included Kellogg brain wheat, cornflakes, Heinz, Ideal Tomato ketchups and orange juice.