KUWAIT: Amidst the hectic preparations for Girgian, the traditional annual festival for kids during the holy month of Ramadan where they receive candy and sweets , large quantities of inedible candy and sweets have flooded the local market, raising concern among parents.

The reports follow a number of incidents concerning expired and inedible foods reported in the local media. On Friday, local papers reported that 17,000 frozen chickens were sold to supermarkets and restaurants, while earlier this year, the media reported that 65,000 kilograms of expired meat had also been sold in bulk to local restaurants and supermarkets. This time, a confectionery and sweets supplier distributed large quantities of goods that had not yet been cleared for sale by the municipality, whos
e subsequent lab tests concluded that the goods are inedible and not suitable for human consumption since they contain chemicals and colorants that are bad for health.

Najat, a 49-year old Kuwaiti mother, believes that such news sheds light on the fact that too little attention is paid to the food people eat in Kuwait. "The fact that the municipality thought that fining the supplier was a sufficient measure is completely disastrous; the greed of this supplier, who wanted to get rid of the rotten food they brought without paying any attention to people's health, is a criminal act. The health of thousands of people is at risk, and the government doesn't care," she asserted
.

Yousef, a 31-year old father, said that when it comes to buying sweets and candy for Girgian this year, he will opt for trusted brands rather than lesser-known ones. "What I find shocking is how lightly the matter is taken by the municipality. Girgian is a yearly tradition and most kids in the country, whether Kuwaiti or not, celebrate this event. It is the lives of children we are speaking about here! The Municipality and government officials should be careful," he said.

Similarly, 34-year old Samir, an expatriate, believes that the municipality is the principal culprit: "The system is flawed," he stated. "A supplier is given the liberty to store his goods wherever he chooses to and isn't monitored, whether he sells it before getting a permit or not. A fine of a few hundred dinars won't bother a big supplier - it won't even dent his wallet." Samir added that consumers need to be more aware of the products they buy, of where they are manufactured and of what their ingredients are: "When kids bring sweets home, the parents must inspect them to see if there is anything suspicious. This is a simple parenting task. At the end of the day, it is everybody's responsibility," he concluded.

Minister of Municipality Affairs Fadhil Safar has been quoted in media reports as saying that he won't let such an issue go easily. "Companies that sell their products before they are cleared by the municipality will be severely punished," he insisted. - Kuwait Times