Holy Week is marked by the consumption of fish and chocolate eggs. With the growing demand for food products at the time, consumers need to be careful when purchasing goods to ensure safe and conscious purchases.
Consumers should avoid purchasing broken chocolate eggs or those with deteriorated packaging | Photo: Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil
The main specificity of the Easter period is the packaging of food. “The first tip for both Easter eggs and fish is that the consumer observes the storage conditions, because they are very sensitive products”, explains the director-president of the Consumer Protection Institute of the Federal District (Procon-DF ), Marcelo Nascimento.
Chocolate eggs must be stored in areas away from foods with odors and cannot be exposed to high temperatures. Fish must be stored in refrigerators or freezers. In the case of fairs, the fish must be covered with layers of ice.
Procon-DF advises that consumers check the expiration date and request that the fish be weighed to confirm the published weight | Photo: Paulo H. Carvalho/Agência Brasília
“Consumers should avoid buying eggs that are broken or have punctured or deteriorated packaging. For fish, it is necessary to check whether the product has a characteristic odor or a strong smell, whether the animal’s eyes are shiny and the scales are firm”, he adds.
Another recommendation is that citizens check product packaging. “You need to observe the weight of the egg and the ingredients present. It must be clarified whether it is an allergenic product. In the case of eggs with toys, it is necessary to have the Inmetro seal and an indication of the age group, in addition to the instruction manual in Portuguese”, explains the CEO of Procon.
For fish, when packaged, the recommendation is to check the expiration date, type of fish and weight. “Even when packaged, the consumer can ask for the fish to be weighed in front of them. We had some cases in fish inspection operations where the percentage of glaciation was above the permitted level. Then the citizen can ask the retailer to weigh the packaging. It’s his right”, adds Nascimento.
Furthermore, the ideal is to carry out a price survey to avoid impulse purchases and know how to identify false promotions. In case of non-compliance with consumer rights, it is possible to contact Procon-DF and make a complaint at one of the units or using the digital form available in the Electronic Petition System (Sispe).
