Seven containers of expired food donated to Somalia by Egypt was burned in Mogadishu on Sunday by the Somali government.
Deputy Minister for interior, Abdirashid Hidig, and other government officials were present at the Mogadishu seaport where the food was burned.
“This food wasn’t expired before the start of the journey but it expired while in the sea,” a government official told Radio Dalsan in an interview.
“I would like to thank the Egypt government. They are our friends, they have never given us contaminated food. The problem is the company transporting the food and the ship’s owner or tenant”, said Deputy Minister for Internal Affairs, Abdirashid Hidig.
“When the Ministry of Internal Affairs opened the first containers, we saw the food was expired,” he added.
The minister said the seaport workers must take part in detecting consignments of expired food in stores both for exportation and for importation.
They sent warnings to the businessmen who import expired food and other essential goods into Somalia, adding that the government will lay strict measures to fight expired food.
“We are very sorry about these evil acts of bringing expired food into the country and we will pursue those culpable,” a witness reported.
Earlier this month, the Mogadishu administration burned expired food from Mogadishu market.
