The Consumer Council of Fiji has received several complaints where consumers have been sold stale bread, fungal or mold growth and foreign materials such as rat droppings, cockroaches, lizards in bread while they have also referred several bakeries to relevant enforcement authorities for the continuous breach of consumer protection laws which subjects consumers to unfair market practices.
The Council says there has been a 24% increase in complaints against bakeries in the first 8 months of 2022 compared to the same period last year where 28% of complaints lodged relate to the quality of bread.
CEO Seema Shandil says given the high number of bakeries with serious hygiene issues, the Council is reminding bakeries to immediately get their acts straight and comply with the Food Safety regulations.
She says the very fact that pest and waste materials are being baked together with bread is baffling and indicative of not only a lack of quality control mechanisms but sheer carelessness and moneymaking attitude of certain establishments.
Shandil says this level of compromise in food safety will not be accepted and bakeries need to get their acts straight right away.
The CEO says consumers have also raised their concerns regarding the unhygienic condition of certain bakeries with staff not wearing PPE’s, presence of pests and pets in bakeries and dirty floor and surrounding, making up 3% of the complaints lodged.
She says conversely, the Council’s survey has revealed that 59% of the bakeries had serious hygiene issues and are in breach of the Food Safety regulation.
The CEO further says out of the total complaints registered against bakeries in this highlighted period, a bulk of complaints were directly relating to violations of price control order on price-controlled bread; quality and issues pertaining to bread.
She says while there are legislations and policies already in place which clearly outlines the standards and practices which food establishments such as bakeries must adhere to, consumer complaints and subsequent investigations have revealed that bakeries are playing ‘fast and loose’ with the laws in place.
This has triggered a nationwide survey which was conducted this week involving 46 bakeries.
Shandil says one of the major concerns is the breach of price control order by certain bakeries which comprised 31% of complaints lodged.
The CEO says the Council has thoroughly investigated these complaints and ensured that the concerned bakeries immediately amended the prices in line with the authorized prices and their recent follow up survey revealed that majority of the bakeries have taken heed of the caution issued and amended the prices in line with the Order.
She further says another 4% of cases were pertaining to certain bakeries not retailing bread which are under price control while 37% of bakeries did not retail at least one type of price-controlled bread.
Shandil says this is worrisome as the price control on certain types of bread serves a purpose; it ensures that ordinary people are able to afford it.
She says the Council will push for fines and penalties for bakeries which are still non-compliant.
Further findings of the survey revealed that 5 bakeries were asking consumers to bring their own plastic bags to carry bread which they purchase however, the Council has issued warning letters and the bakeries in question are now availing bags for consumers.
Shandil adds they are reassuring consumers the Council will work closely with relevant enforcement agencies to iron out these issues and continuously push for stringent enforcement actions against bakeries which are not showing any signs of improvements.
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