KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 — Surprise inspections conducted by the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) at three hypermarkets in the Klang Valley found over 75 expired items on their shelves. The inspections, involving 12 staff members, took place over the past week.

Their findings of expired products ranged from canned and dry goods, to titbits, frozen foods as well as dairy products.

They also discovered several products without expiry dates.

Fomca told reporters it wouldsend a memorandum to the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry and Health Ministry, urging them to conduct regular spotchecks at all supermarkets and hypermarkets.

Fomca communications dispute resolution and resource mobilisation director Saravanan Thambirajah said the expired products — especially food and drugs — would pose a health risk to consumers.

“The chemical composition in expired products will change as a result of bacterial and fungal growth. It is hazardous to consume such products,” Thambirajah said.

“We are shocked that these prominent hypermarkets can overlook such a serious matter. Some of these products expired a year ago.”

He said Fomca would launch a monthly spotcheck to safeguard the quality of consumer products.

Thambirajah also urged the government to review and strictly implement the Food Regulations Act 1985 so all expired goods were immediately removed from the shelves. He stressed that food safety should be of primary concern to the government, manufacturers, retailers as well as consumers.

“Retailers found selling hazardous and damaged food items can face a maximum of RM100,000 fine and 10 years jail if convicted under the Food Act 1983.”

Thambirajah also suggested that the government increase the fine to at least RM100,000 per item as one cannot compromise on public health.

Meanwhile, Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Hasan Malek vowed to take action against any shops selling expired products.

“I promise that we will follow every lead in cases like these,” he told The Malay Mail.

He urged the public to report to the authorities should they come across expired products being sold in the shops.

The Auditor-General’s Report 2012 last week revealed that food ration supplies for the army were found to be well past their expiry dates. Among the examples highlighted are several expired items found on the shelves at the Wisma Samudera galley.

One such item was a box of Knorr Essence Cube, which expired on Sept 24, 2011, but was still on the shelf during the audit in July 2012.