Media Release
Inspection Reveals Cockroach-Infested Garlic at Supermarket
21/12/2023
The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) found garlic infested with cockroaches for sale at a supermarket during a joint Food Safety inspection with Sigatoka Town Council Health Inspectors yesterday morning.
A video obtained by FCCC shows numerous insects crawling over the garlic bulbs, highlighting the severity of the infestation. An earlier joint inspection last week, found a similar breach where a supermarket was selling chickens that had spoiled due to inadequate refrigeration.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, Hon. Manoa Kamikamica, expressed his disappointment at the lack of hygiene protocols shown by the supermarket and promised that swift action would be taken.
“There is no excuse to sell spoiled goods that are unfit for human consumption. We will ensure that strict action is taken against this retailer. This is exactly why the Food and Safety joint inspection campaign was convened – to prevent such cases and ensure that the health and safety of our citizens of this country are not put at risk,” said the Honourable Minister.
FCCC CEO, Joel Abraham, issued a stern warning, stating, “FCCC will not compromise on food safety. Such conduct by retailers is unacceptable and they will face the full brunt of the law. We have zero-tolerance for any retailer that has such blatant disregard for the health and safety of their customers.”
For health reasons, Health Inspectors immediately removed the tainted items from the supermarket and took them for condemnation upon discovery.
FCCC, in collaboration with the Municipal Health Inspectors, is dedicated to identifying and addressing any breaches of both the FCCC Act 2010 and the Food Safety Act to safeguard consumers.
The joint operations involve rigorous inspections focused on various aspects of food safety. These include the quality of perishable goods, inspection of packaging for damage and expiration dates, adherence to cleanliness standards, and proper maintenance of food storage temperatures.
In cases where violations of the FCCC Act 2010 are identified, FCCC officers take the necessary enforcement action and breaches related to the Food Safety Act are addressed by Municipal Health Inspectors. Reports from health inspectors on any actions taken during these inspections are also forwarded to the FCCC for further review and potential action.
FCCC is committed to taking strict action against traders who compromise food safety and consumer health, and joint inspections will continue.
About FCCC
The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission is an independent statutory authority committed to promoting competition and fair trading and regulating national infrastructure for the benefit of all Fijians.
For more information/details on this, please contact us on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FijianCCC , or on our website https://fccc.gov.fj/ or on 8921991.
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