Environment Minister Terry Lister revealed yesterday.

And he said allergy sufferers could be put in danger if ingredients were not correctly listed on edible goods.

He denied it was a crackdown but said staff were now looking more closely at the issue.

By law the expiry date and all the ingredients on food products must be clearly displayed.

Mr. Lister said: "We are getting around to enforcement. We are getting round the shops now that we are staffed up.

"Under the new Consumer Protection Act and the reinvigorated workforce we have we will see the laws are carried out and administered properly.

"Our officer might hear there's outdated cans, she would verify it with the manager who would be asked to remove them.

"But today we have the power to carry it a step further by issuing a warning letter.

"They would be ordered to take the food off the shelves and if it continues they could be fined.'' "Proper labelling is appropriate, even from a dieting point of view -- if you have an allergy and you are allergic to a particular product that should be known.

"I should be able to figure that out when I buy a product.'' Mr. Lister said he wasn't aware of any food poisoning cases resulting from ill-labelled goods.

"We are not addressing it in crisis mode. What we are really trying to do across the board in consumer protection is raise the bar. We don't have targets.

"I would be disappointed if quality products and businesses suffered under the Consumer Protection Act. However improper products are goods that are imported which are banned in the United States or in the country of manufacture -- we don't expect them to be sold in Bermuda any more.'' Retail store advertising sham sales will also be affected by the new Consumer Protection Act which came into force in October this year.

"We can deal with that now,'' said Mr. Lister. "Previously we couldn't so the old sales where stores sell an item at an incredible price and you go in there at 9.10 a.m. and they say they are sold out -- that stops. We can deal with that.

"We are trying to ensure standards are put at such a level that the Bermuda populace can rely on the product they are purchasing be it architectural services, toys or accounting services.

"Whatever service or product which is being bought that group should have some standards and the consumer protection is enforcing that.

"You will recall maybe two weeks ago with the scooters there was a quick whip around with by our staff to make sure that scooters found to be dangerous in the States were not sold here.''