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Burkina Faso seizes spoiled food, hours before end of Ramadan

Xinhua, July 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

Burkina Faso authorities have seized a total of 79 tons of spoiled food that included two tons of frozen chicken thighs and a large quantity of fish, just a few hours before the end of Muslim holy month of Ramadan, an official source said Tuesday.

The operation began over the weekend when customs authorities seized several tons of expired rice valued between 20 and 25 million CFA Francs (42,000 U.S. dollars) in Ouessa, southwest Burkina Faso, coming from Ghana.

On Sunday, health authorities in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso's second city, seized a large quantity of fish that was not fit for consumption.

According to Burkina Faso League of Consumers, two tons of frozen chicken thighs were equally intercepted by the customs authorities.

"It is obvious that these products would have been sold on the market as the country prepares to celebrate the end of Ramadan on July 6," one angry consumer, Philippe Coulibaly, said.

Burkina Faso which is situated at the heart of West Africa, has become a transit hub for spoiled food. Fraudulent economic operators collude with some state officials to flood the local market with stale foodstuffs.

In February 2015, close to 1,300 tons of spoiled soda was seized in Ouagadougou suburbs. Endit