DILI, 15 november 2024 (TATOLI) – SEARA Market on friday apologized and said it would reinforce internal regulations and provide more training for staff members to prevent the sale of expired products from happening in the future.
SEARA Market’s apology statement came after the temporary suspension of its sales activity by the Economic, Health, and Food Activities Inspection Authority (AIFAESA).
“We sincerely apologize for the recent incident at Seara Supermarket, where expired products were found on our shelves due to a lapse in the first-in, first-out (FIFO) inventory process. We recognize that this situation has caused inconvenience and may have affected your trust in us,” SEARA Market said in a statement.
In the apology statement, SEARA Market blames the staff members for the incident: “Unfortunately, some staff members chose to prioritize securing their performance bonus and avoiding penalties by not reporting the issue to management. Instead, they opted to repackage expired products rather than follow the correct reporting procedures. This was a serious error in judgment and a breach of our commitment to transparency and quality.”
Last week, AIFAESA Inspector Odete Viegas da Silva said that the Authority imposed the temporary ban on the sales activity of the SEARA Market store in Pantai Kelapa Dili due to committing a number of irregularities, including the sale of expired products, expiry date tampering and the violation of the retail license.
SEARA Market pledges to take immediate steps to revise its reward system, ensuring that incentives align with its values of accountability and integrity. “Additionally, we are establishing a new packaging facility that meets HACCP and ISO international standards, to ensure consistent product quality and safety.”
Journalist: Jose Belarmino de Sa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
