Mangalore: Can you buy a perishable food item off a store shelf before it is manufactured / packed ? Apparently you can.

Consumers have come up with complaints that they have seen products in the market, with the fake date of production/packing. For example: A tasty powder was sold  in the market on August 29, while the product showed the date of packing as September 1.

Joel Pinto of Vamanjoor too is a witness to this case. He said that on August 30, he went to the shop to buy Haldiram packet.  He was surprised to see the date of packing stamped on it – September 1, one day later than the purchase. Mr. Joel, who did not know where to lodge a complaint, posted the picture of the product on a social networking site, requesting shares until it reached the company. He was encouraged to file a complaint in the consumer court, he said.

Another consumer, who bought Crust Tasty Food, distributed by Udupi Shree Krishna Snacks, Mangalore too noticed the product being sold even ‘before the date of packing’. The product showed the date of packing as September 7, 2014, while it was out in the market in the end of August.

These practices shake the confidence of the consumer, especially as these products have a short shelf life and these companies  are ostensibly using these ploys to extend it and reduce product returns.

If you happen to find a product in the market, with a wrong date of packing, don’t keep quiet. Instead, approach either the consumer’s court or the office of the district Federation of Consumer Organization (FCO), which is located in Taluk Panchayat complex, Mangalore.

MJ Salian, president of the federation said that the consumers are not aware as to where to go if such issues take place. “Come to us, and we will help you”, he said. “The office has an information center and has several consumer clubs too”, he added.

The office number is 0824- 2441894