Washington [US], May 18: The Consumer Council is calling for stronger enforcement action against restaurants and cafes found breaching basic hygiene and food safety standards across Fiji.
Concerns were raised during discussions on the Council's Annual Reports, with joint inspections alongside municipal councils revealing repeated sanitation issues, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas.
Consumer Council Manager Research and Policy Analyst Lusia Rabaka says there have been some improvements in the Suva to Nausori corridor, while recurring hygiene violations continue to be found in parts of the Western Division.
She says joint inspections have led to some traders working to correct non-compliance issues, but problems persist across the sector.
Meanwhile, traders along the main divisions are under pressure to swiftly rectify these ongoing violations.
Consumer Council Chief Executive Seema Shandil says many food establishments were found operating in poor and unhygienic conditions.
"The environment is really very dirty in most of the restaurants and cafes around Fiji. The surprising thing is that a lot of things are being left out in the open without being covered. Pests infest the places and the re-use of oil until it turns black or I don't know what colour it is."
In more alarming findings, Shandil says inspectors also discovered cases where food was being handled in highly unsanitary conditions.
She says there were instances of food items being placed to thaw in inappropriate areas.
There have been instances where food items have been thrown into places like washrooms to thaw on top of toilets.
The Consumer Council says while municipal councils are cooperating in inspections, stronger enforcement is urgently needed to ensure compliance and accountability in the food sector.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Cooperation
