The day was Thursday the 30th of April, location; Oregun, Lagos. An opened bottle of diet coke lay before my desk. I’d always being a fan of coke products- their catchy ads and mantra were as popular as Christmas carols. But there was something wrong with this particular beverage- a swig from the bottle was enough to arrive at a conclusion. The best before date on the bottle’s cap answered my doubts. The drink or rather the poison before me was more than a month old.coke6

On the double ConnectAfrica correspondents made a dash to the shop where the drink was bought. A rather naïve sales attendant apologetically collected the drink from the correspondent. Her offer to replace the drink only unearthed more rot. Stacked in a corner of the room were cartons of expired diet coke, [url=http://connectafrica./2009/05/06/expired-coca-c…ing-in-nigeria/]http://connectafrica./2009/05/06/expired-coca-c…ing-in-nigeria/ [/url]

It is a simple mistake in my opinion. Coca-cola is fierce brand and will not allow things like this to happen, but sometimes human errors can take charge.

Shops do sell expired stuff here too out of mistakes.

No! I went home and some of the stuff I bought that I didnt look at were expired, and even when I stopped at some shops and look at their stuff, and see dust, I move away. My mom told me to only buy from where things are bought frequently. Otherwise- food poisoning

dear friend ,

I think you drank the wrong coke bottle . The one you drank was packaged by Dora.

Ppl will sell you expired food as long as they get your money, you cant sue them.
My brother got food poisoning in Lagos because of bad chicken that been sitting for God knows how long in a Restraunt we stopped by.
_{Thank God I have a very keen nose for spoiled food.}  


Even here, I bought some expired food products but i got my money back

And then my cousin told me that someppl can take bottles or jugs and fill them up with whatever they want and sell it to you.

horrible!

Shouldnt this be in Health?

platinumnk:

Ppl will sell you expired food as long as they get your money, you cant sue them.
My brother got food poisoning in Lagos because of bad chicken that been sitting for God knows how long in a Restraunt we stopped by.
_{Thank God I have a very keen nose for spoiled food.}  


Even here, I bought some expired food products but i got my money back

Your brother got food poisoning in Lagos, people get food poisoning every where all over the world - go to London, check the Turkish shops, u will be surprised at various gimmicks they use to sell expired products to unsuspecting people - you can get nicked anywhere not only in Lagos.

Akpangbon:

Your brother got food poisoning in Lagos, people get food poisoning every where all over the world - go to London, check the Turkish shops, u will be surprised at various gimmicks they use to sell expired products to unsuspecting people - you can get nicked anywhere not only in Lagos.

I agree but here there a reprecussions for food poisioning. My brother never had food poisoning before, it was a very scary experience. But the subject was expired foods in Nigeria

People are making a few misconceptions here. Expired food do not automatically means food poisoning! An expired food that is air tight or still sealed is as good as a freshly made food. Canned food have been know to last 60 years from the expiry date. It was eaten and nothing happened to the people.

Food poisoning is caused entirely by poor food handling, the surface it was prepare, contaminated packaging etc.

ElRazur:

People are making a few misconceptions here. Expired food do not automatically means food poisoning! An expired food that is air tight or still sealed is as good as a freshly made food. Canned food have been know to last 60 years from the expiry date. It was eaten and nothing happened to the people.

Food poisoning is caused entirely by poor food handling, the surface it was prepare, contaminated packaging etc.

But the guy said that it tasted funny, so their must have been a hole somewhere, and also food expires faster when kept in heat and considering Nigeria, that coke been bad and the shop owner knew it.

It makes me mad that ppl know a food is bad and they still sell it.  McDonalds dont even let food stay over 3 hours much less a diner with poor electricity selling bad chicken thats been sitting there all day, _{and probaly even yesterday!}  


I went to a shop one night to get some icecream and I was so surpised that I was handed me a soup like cream and expected they me to buy it. Haha not with my naira! 

Platinum


Now you want me to eat rat tonite.

Shops do sell expired stuff here too out of mistakes.

And we should encourage same for our people??

Why cant we lay a solid standard for others to follow?!

platinumnk:

But the guy said that it tasted funny, so their must have been a hole somewhere, and also food expires faster when kept in heat and considering Nigeria, that coke been bad and the shop owner knew it.

It makes me mad that ppl know a food is bad and they still sell it.  McDonalds dont even let food stay over 3 hours much less a diner with poor electricity selling bad chicken thats been sitting there all day, _{and probaly even yesterday!}  


I went to a shop one night to get some icecream and I was so surpised that I was handed me a soup like cream and expected they me to buy it. Haha not with my naira! 

It is hard to give any conclusive comments on "it taste funny" to be honest. It could be "flat", it could be anything. I cant comment either if the shop owner purposely sells expired products.

I think one of the issues is the fact there isnt a "Food handling" course given back home. Anyone can put three stone together, a big fan and start frying akara. Most of the Buka and eateries back home wont even pass a basic hygiene test to be honest. Just because a restaurant looks good and have posh chairs do not mean it is a safe place to eat.

My last trip to lagos saw me eating at tantalizer in Yaba, Gosh no offence but the food just smell dodgy to me, I just opted for mirinda and watched my nephews devour my portion.

platinumnk:

Those are Bats isnt?

Had some before, very yummy.

Selling contaminated and expired stuff in the UK is termed a mistake, selling it in Nigeria is termed deceit. what double standard.

ElRazur:

It is hard to give any conclusive comments on "it taste funny" to be honest. It could be "flat", it could be anything. I cant comment either if the shop owner purposely sells expired products.

I think one of the issues is the fact there isnt a "Food handling" course given back home. Anyone can put three stone together, a big fan and start frying akara. Most of the Buka and eateries back home wont even pass a basic hygiene test to be honest. Just because a restaurant looks good and have posh chairs do not mean it is a safe place to eat.

My last trip to lagos saw me eating at tantalizer in Yaba, Gosh no offence but the food just smell dodgy to me, I just opted for mirinda and watched my nephews devour my portion.

Wicked Uncle  

blacksta:

Wicked Uncle  

lmao. I mentioned it to them, but they was like "you don dey for too long for europe" they told me it smells just well. After that, telling them to let go is just a waste of time.

ElRazur


Story - before you travel abroad, you know anything like expired food?

Akpangbon:

ElRazur


Story - before you travel abroad, you know anything like expired food?

I had little or no processed food back home you see. Now that I do, do you expect me to go back in[i] bath myself in the aqua of ignorance?[/i]

ElRazur:

People are making a few misconceptions here. Expired food do not automatically means food poisoning! An expired food that is air tight or still sealed is as good as a freshly made food. Canned food have been know to last 60 years from the expiry date. It was eaten and nothing happened to the people.

Food poisoning is caused entirely by poor food handling, the surface it was prepare, contaminated packaging etc.

NA wa o! I fear you oh! 60years? why then do they put expiry dates in the first place?

@OP this ya narrative sweet sha!

Akpangbon:

Platinum


Now you want me to eat rat tonite.

no be rat oh. see im prick. e long pas am.

ElRazur:

I had little or no processed food back home you see. Now that I do, do you expect me to go back in[i] bath myself in the aqua of ignorance?[/i]

africans and their inferiority complex.

same processed food  are what 'whites' are now runing away from and they go after 'bio-foods'; that we take for granted in Africa.!

al-qaeda:

no be rat oh. see im prick. e long pas am.

it looks like a rat to me, _{but it looks entirely disgusting}

busi-bodi:

africans and their inferiority complex.

same processed food are what 'whites' are now runing away from and they go after 'bio-foods'; that we take for granted in Africa.!

Bio-foods is not the same thing! Do you know how many regulations we have on Organic Foods?!!!


I agree, I dont want to die from bad food mehn.

Mai Suya:

NA wa o! I fear you oh! 60years? why then do they put expiry dates in the first place?

exactly

ElRazur:

I had little or no processed food back home you see. Now that I do, do you expect me to go back in[i] bath myself in the aqua of ignorance?[/i]

Hear Hear, my health is above all forget eating just to eat

Mai Suya:

NA wa o! I fear you oh! 60years? why then do they put expiry dates in the first place?

@OP this ya narrative sweet sha!

It is true. I will dig out a link for you in a moment. There actually two dates in the UK here used on products [if you buy them in the supermarket] One is the "Display until" or "Use by" date and "Expiry date" The first two serves as a guideline, and depending on food type it is necessary to maintain a "display until" date e.g Milk, cheese etc.

It is also argued that the dates are used by manufacturer so as to sell their product quickly.

As for the expiry date, as long as the integrity of the can or air tight container is in place, then it is usually okay. However, if it is compromised, then you can be killed instantly from eating it in some extreme case. This is caused by anaerobic bacteria called Botulism.

Here is the link. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/4693520.stm

A man celebrated his golden wedding anniversary by eating a 50-year-old tin of chicken.

Les and Beryl Lailey, of Denton, Gtr Manchester, were given the chicken in a hamper on their wedding day in 1956.

The Buxted Chicken tin remained in their kitchen cupboard until the couple marked 50 years together this month.

"We kept it safe, and I always said 'on my 50th wedding anniversary I'm going to eat that chicken' - so I did," said former soldier, Mr Lailey, aged 73.

"When we got married I'd just come out of the Army and we had very little money, so we did our own buffet.

"We got a hamper as a present and included in it was this whole chicken in a tin. We didn't use it and packed it away and kept it."

The pair met at an Irish pub in Hulme, Manchester.

"I had to go back to the Army almost straight after we met, but we kept in touch by writing letters. I came home and we got married," Mr Lailey added.

Prof Eunice Taylor, a food safety expert at the University of Salford, said: "Canned food can last indefinitely if it has been sealed properly, although the normal shelf life is about six months.

"If it's done at high temperatures and under high pressure, then the process should create a tight vacuum.

"If anyone is going to eat old canned food, I would suggest they heat it thoroughly first of all, just in case to be extra

There you go. I rest my case.

busi-bodi:

africans and their inferiority complex.

same processed food  are what 'whites' are now runing away from and they go after 'bio-foods'; that we take for granted in Africa.!

You can come across as ignorant sometimes.

I am saying, I hardly have to worry about "expiry dates" because I had little processed food when I was in Nigeria. I instead had freshly prepared food. However, given my knowledge now, there is no way I will go home and just eat anything.

Do you even know what you are talking about?

@platinumnk

They look like Bats to me. Just look at the positioning of the hands and hinds legs, they sure do looks like bats. Even the teeths are made of several incisors.

^^ That is the dog that won the award for the ugliest dog in the world, If I remember correctly.

those are bats

ElRazur:

^^ That is the dog that won the award for the ugliest dog in the world, If I remember correctly.

_{you know ur stuff!}

haha i think that it is a bat, We found one in my moms room in 9ja and we burned it. EWWWW