Public health authorities have warned of attempts to sell consumer items affected by the recent floods and power outages.

The Secretary of the Public Health Inspectors’ Union (PHIU), Chamil Muthukuda told The Daily Morning yesterday (08) that PHIs were concerned about efforts by certain groceries and shops to dry and sell rice and other grains such as lentils and maize that had been caught in the floods. Such attempts were detected in the Kandy and Anuradhapura areas over the weekend. These were stocks that had been stored for sale at the time of the floods, he explained.

Muthukuda said that there were further concerns about attempts to sell meat, meat-based products and ice cream that had been kept in freezers — not only in flood-affected areas, but also in other parts of the country that experienced power outages due to the cyclone and subsequent floods. He said that some supermarkets and shops were attempting to sell these items by re-freezing stock that had thawed out during the outages.

“It is not that they will be purchasing meat from livestock or poultry that perished in the floods, but consumers should be cautious when buying meat, grain and other perishable food items, as they may have been exposed to floodwaters or kept in freezers without electricity,” he warned.