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Consumers cautioned to check \Use-by\ dates on food items

Because of shipping delays due to the labor dispute at U.S. West Coast seaports, the Chamber of Commerce is urging local consumers to thoroughly check the “Use by Date” on food products purchased in local stores, to ensure the safety of the community. They have also requested the Health Department to look at goods sold on shelves to ensure they are safe for consumption.

 

There are new concerns over shipping delays, when last Friday, companies handling the loading and off loading of cargo at West Coast ports announced that they hired far fewer workers over the weekend, which means only smaller crews were working at these ports.

 

The Associated Press reported Friday that the latest announcement could foreshadow a full port shutdown as soon as today (Monday), or it could be a hardball bargaining tactic designed to force a contract after nine months of talks. (Check Samoa News online for latest update on the port labor dispute from the AP.)

 

Back in the territory, Chamber chairman David Robinson told Samoa News last week Wednesday that one issue of concern with the shipping delays is the late arrival of goods, which thereby affects the “use by date” on various items, especially food items.

 

He urged consumers to watch out for items that are close to the ‘use by date’ or if the ‘use by date’ has passed. He said some of these goods may have been sitting on the West Coast ports for a long time and consumers must be on the side of caution and check the date.

 

Robinson also said there may be local retailers who have stored away some of their goods and products for a while, but are now just bringing them out to the shelves. “So again, our community is encouraged to check the ‘use by date’ on products for health and safety reasons,” he told Samoa News in a phone interview.

 

The Chamber chair shared the same concerns with directors during a cabinet meeting last Thursday where he suggested that the Department of Health check stores for the ‘use by date’. He also reiterated the concern of retailers hiking prices during these times of supply shortages, and for the community to report such incidents to local authorities.

 

As previously reported by Samoa News, Robinson said that among their concerns with the shipping delays is the drop in ASG revenues collected from excise tax on imports. Additionally, Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga has reached out to Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular Affairs Esther Kia’aina and Congresswoman Aumua Amata for their help.

 

At the cabinet meeting, Lolo said the administration is taking this issue seriously and met last week with Treasury and other ASG officials involved with financial matters “regarding any changes to our environment.  We have been very cautious with our spending, keeping the lid tight on our containment measures, not to overstep our spending.”

 

“So hold on to your local spending,” he told directors.

 

Port Administration director Taimalelagi Dr. Claire Poumele acknowledged the shipping delays have affected goods arriving in the territory. She said that two container vessels arrived in Pago Pago since last week, the  Papuan Chief brought in 70 containers and the Cape Avatele brought in about 277 containers, and they took out over 300 containers for StarKist.

 

She also says that one of the local stevedoring companies asked Port Administration to extend the storage days for the containers to remain on the dock. She explained that Port allows businesses to store their containers on the dock for up to five days free of charge, and after that, it's $20 per day for every container.

 

The stevedoring companies “are having a difficult time getting all those containers out to the businesses,” she said, adding that Port will reply by today to the request for leaving the containers on the dock a little longer.

 

STARKIST REPLY

 

Responding to Samoa News questions early last week on the impact of the shipping delays to StarKist operations, the company’s corporate spokesperson Michelle Faist said last Friday that “StarKist, like hundreds of other companies, has been impacted by the strike. We do not anticipate any layoffs or changes to our operations as a result.”

 

See Samoa News edition of Feb. 4 for reaction from Tri Marine International on the shipping delays.