Farmer Arrested for Selling Rotten Food

A 30-year-old farmer was arrested on a farm near Charl Cilliers on February 5 for allegedly repacking and distributing expired and rotten food to retailers. He faces charges of contravening the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act and will appear in the Secunda Magistrate’s Court on February 6.

According to Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi, the farmer reportedly collected expired food from chain stores under the pretense of feeding his domestic animals.

Authorities, including the Hawks and Govan Mbeki Local Municipality health inspectors, raided the farm and discovered two warehouses filled with food unfit for human consumption. They found:

• Four cold storage rooms containing expired canned goods, rotten red meat, and chicken.
• 1,000 crates of expired dairy products, including cheese.
• A truck with a cold room, two delivery vehicles (one loaded with meat), and an empty LDV, all under investigation.
• Seven freezers storing repackaged wheat, flour, and maize meal.
• Vacuuming equipment, scales, plastic sealers, pricing machines, and stickers, suspected to be used for repackaging.

A thorough investigation is ongoing to determine the extent of the operation.