Unit confiscates food items

Officers from the Health Ministry's Food Control Unit have confiscated a number of food products from supermarket shelves because they have not met the requirements of the new Food Safety Act.

Media Liaison Officer Iliesa Tora said officers found products such as mixed fruit cake, canned items like baked beans, sweet corn and fruit salad, jam, chocolate wafers, yogurt, snacks, soup packs, peanut butter, canned tuna and sweet biscuits not properly labeled or damaged.

He added some were also past their expiry date but still on supermarket shelves.

Tora said since this was the team's first visit, respective managers have been notified about the steps they should take and briefed on the new regulation.

The Ministry has given local manufacturers, exporters and importers until October 14 to tidy up their dealings and ensure that food items they sell fall into the required standard, but from October 14th there will be no second chance.

Tora said they have to act on this now because they see that a lot of items coming in from overseas do not meet the Act requirements and a lot of our people are getting sub-standard food which in turns affects their health.