The executive director of the National Institute for the Protection of Consumer Rights (Pro Consumidor), Eddy Alcántara, announced today that the entity will take drastic measures against businesses that expose the bottles of water they sell to the public to the sun, given the damage this causes to people’s health.
Alcántara recalled that Pro Consumidor, during a large-scale operation carried out in 2021, at the beginning of its administration, called on business owners, such as grocery stores, supermarkets, warehouses and others, that sell bottled water, not to expose them to the sun’s rays.
In this regard, he reported that he instructed the Good Commercial Practices, Inspection and Surveillance and Consumer Education departments to double the verification days to correct this bad practice that could threaten the health of the population.
In this regard, the official warned that if these water jugs are not relocated to suitable places, the measures and sanctions that have been applied for this bad practice will be applied more drastically than in 2021 when the current incumbent of Pro Consumidor warned that businesses should discontinue exposing drinking water bottles to the sun’s rays.
He pointed out that the instructions given to inspectors for the preparation of the report, in addition to the sanctions to be applied for this practice, are to recommend the withdrawal of these products from establishments that do not comply with the mandate of Law 358-05 on the Protection of Consumer Rights.
He said that these operations will be intensified in the coming days because research carried out in different countries on bottled water that is exposed to sunlight has revealed that when these containers undergo sudden changes in temperature they release dioxins and chemical components that are harmful to those who consume them.
“This is why we have instructed inspectors to immediately notify those business owners who are carrying out this bad commercial practice that is detrimental to consumer rights,” he said.
Finally, he recalled that all inspection, surveillance and good business practices operations carried out by the institution every day are permanently working on this issue to enforce the provisions of the aforementioned consumer protection law and the measures taken in this regard by the Executive Directorate of the entity.
