Counterfeit ‘Del Monte’ product traced to Ed Ahmad operations

…Analyst warns consumers could be poisoned

Authorities yesterday warned consumers to beware of counterfeit ‘Del Monte’ corn that is on market shelves. According to the Government Analyst – Food and Drug Department, the “Del Monte” Gold and White Corn product comes with a gold-coloured cap. The department’s Director, Marlan Cole, said the cans containing the counterfeit product are of poor quality and dent easily, a defect that does not guarantee the integrity of the contents.

Authorities say the original product has a silver cap as seen above.

The department warned that this may lead to the possible inflow of oxygen that can cause microbiological contamination. “This is manifested by broken seals, bloating and/or explosion of the cans; thereby putting consumers at risk for poisoning by chemicals and/or microorganisms. The original product has a silver cap…is hard to the touch and difficult to place an indentation on the can.” The discovery of the counterfeit product has seen the US manufacturer, Del Monte Foods/Del Monte Brands of San Francisco, distancing itself from the gold-coloured cap product. The US Company has also confirmed that the sole authorized distributer of Del Monte Foods/Del Monte Brands products in Guyana is Toucan Industries Inc. of Water Street, Georgetown. The counterfeit product is sold wholesale in a carton of 24 cans. The carton is labelled “Super Foods” which states that its content is “Manufactured by Super Foods Inc., of Lot 8 Ruimveldt Industrial Estate, Georgetown, Guyana”. That address of the property that formerly housed The New Guyana Company, publishers of the Mirror, a newspaper of the People’s Progressive Party. That property is reportedly leased by New York-based businessman, Edul Ahmad, who runs a hardware establishment and distribution food company there. Ahmad, who is embroiled in a multi-million-dollar real estate fraud case in New York, is said to be a close friend of former President Bharrat Jagdeo. He shipped two containers of construction material to the then President Bharrat Jagdeo. Those containers were offloaded at State House at the time when Jagdeo was building his house at Pradoville2. The Analyst Department said that it is strongly advising unsuspecting wholesalers and distributors of the product to immediately remove it from their shelves or distributing system and return it to Super Foods Inc. They may also surrender them to the Food and Drug Department or any Environmental Health Officer in the regions. “Consumers are advised not to use this or any other canned product with the above mentioned characteristic. The department has commenced an investigation to determine the exact location where the counterfeiting is being done.  Containers/consignments are currently being detained for comprehensive examination before items are entered into the country and other products suspected to be counterfeited are also being investigated.”

Businessman, Edul Ahmad

The department also called for the consumers to provide information of other canned products with similar characteristics, “while we conduct further investigation inclusive of analytical testing within our capability in the interest of consumer safety and protection.”