Pro Consumer destroys more than 300 thousand products

The National Institute for the Protection of Consumer Rights (Pro Consumidor) destroyed 300,313 damaged, spoiled, expired, and rusty products seized in different provinces. These products endangered the health and safety of consumers.

The director of Pro Consumidor, Dr. Eddy Alcantara, said that these products were incinerated and crushed for not complying with the corresponding requirements, as established by Law 358-05 of Consumer Protection.

He explained that these products were seized in stores in the National District and the provinces of Santo Domingo, Santiago, San José de Ocoa, San Cristóbal, La Altagracia, La Romana, Azua, Peravia, San Pedro de Macorís, Monseñor Nouel, Sánchez Ramírez, Samaná, Puerto Plata, Barahona, Duarte, La Vega, among others.

Alcántara indicated that the Inspection and Surveillance Body of Pro Consumidor carried out these seizure operations in supermarkets, grocery stores, and minimarkets between January and July of this year “in the work of safeguarding the health of consumers, as well as to watch over their economic interests when they buy these products which are unfit for human consumption.”

He explained that food products seized and destroyed were rice, pasta, oils, soft drinks, cigarettes, canned goods, soups, milk, juices, corn flakes, compotes, and cleaning products.

He said that the products inspected were for verification of quality, safety, and hygiene, in addition to not displaying visible prices, and those establishments did not have a complaint registration system for consumers to file complaints about the infringement of their rights.

The incineration occurred at the company Recolección Residuos Clasificados Diversos (RESICLA) through a destruction process that respects the environment and current legal regulations.