The Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs cited 30 V.I. stores, from major supermarkets such as Plaza Extra and KMart, to small convenience stores for selling products after their expiration date.
The citations are all for 2016 and 2017. In a statement, DLCA officials said the agency is distributing a list of all the violators because businesses are simply absorbing the fines and continuing as before.
“DLCA has discovered that many violators simply pay fines but continue the practice of offering expired items for sale,” agency officials said in the statement.
“Such conduct by businesses licensed by the department can result in financial as well as health and safety harm to consumers. Therefore, making the public aware of offenders of consumer related laws is important information that enables the consumer to make the best choices on how to spend their hard-earned money as well as how to protect the health of themselves and their families,” the statement continues.
Residents who wabt to make a report can call DLCA on St. Thomas at 340-714-3522, or on St. Croix at 340-713-3522.
For the St. Thomas-St. John district, DLCA lists Pine Peace Mini Mart on St. John with the largest number of past-expiration goods cited, with 485 valued at $15,125 found in two inspections, one on Dec. 14, 2016 and the second on March 30, 2017.
DLCA’s second highest number was for Food Center Supermarket, with two inspections finding 250 goods valued at $6,250.
The most recent St. Thomas-St. John citation was for April of 2017, roughly 18 months ago.
For St. Croix, DLCA shows KMart West with 304 items valued at $6,025 over six inspections from January 2017 through August of 2018. Food Town had 167 items over nine inspections from February 2016 through June 2018, valued at $4,186.
The reports also list several instances of “failing to display the total selling price.”
St. Thomas/St. John
Stores cited by DLCA for expired goods:
Arch Convenient Center
Choice Supermarket
Food Center Supermarket
Dolphin Gourmet Market
Eddy’s Convenient Market
Fruit Bowl
Garden Street Grocery
Giant Market
Gourmet Gallery Crown Bay
Gourmet Gallery Havensight
Happy View Market
K&S
Kmart
Midnight Zone Convenience Store
Mushens Supermarket
Nani 2001
Nidal’s Mini Mart
Pine Peace Mini Mart
Plaza Extra
Presto Diamond Rock
Price Mart
Rayen’s Market
Starfish Market
The Jona Marketing St. John
World Fresh Supermarket
DLCA price tag and other violations:
L&S
Louie’s Market
Choice Supermarket
Collette Angol
Destin To Win
Dolphin Gourmet Market
Kmart
Mushen’s Supermarket
Nidal’s Mini Mart
Price Mart
Sam’s Food
World Fresh Supermarket
St. Croix
Stores cited by DLCA for expired goods:
Stop & Shop
Food Town
Amigo’s Service Station
Golden Rock Budget Mini Mart
KMart West
KMart East
DLCA price tag and other violations:
Food Town
