Following concerns raised by people that DMC outlets were frying beef patties and non-meat items, such as fries, in the same cooking oil, the restaurant chain has decided to remove all beef products from their menu.
Consumer Council of Fiji says food preparation practices that may conflict with the religious and cultural beliefs of consumers have recently come under scrutiny, underscoring the importance of transparency within Fiji’s food service industry.
They are reiterating its expectation that all restaurant operators clearly disclose such practices and take appropriate corrective action where necessary.
While welcoming DMC’s commitment for full disclosure, Consumer Council CEO Seema Shandil says their primary concern is transparency and consumer choice.
She says their role is not to dictate what businesses sell, but to ensure consumers are given clear and accurate information.
Shandil says where food preparation practices may affect a consumer’s religious or cultural choices, disclosure is essential.
They welcome efforts by businesses to improve their practices and to be upfront with consumers.
However, the Council emphasizes that this issue is not unique to one operator as similar practices may exist across the food service sector, and DMC is referenced in this instance only because a specific tip-off was received and the chain serves a large number of consumers nationwide.
Shandil adds that disclosure should be treated as the minimum standard across the industry.
She says in a culturally diverse country like Fiji, being transparent about food preparation practices is not optional.
The CEO says all restaurant operators are strongly encouraged to review their processes, disclose where necessary, and take corrective action proactively, rather than waiting for complaints.
The Council adds they will continue to engage with food businesses, community groups, and relevant stakeholders to promote greater awareness, respect for cultural sensitivities, and improved industry practices.
Meanwhile, DMC says their decision to remove beef products from their outlets has been taken in the spirit of inclusivity, allowing them to better cater to the needs, confidence and sensitivities of our diverse community.
DMC says due to current machinery and power limitations, their fries and chicken nuggets, chicken wings, chicken popcorn, chicken kebab and chicken patties are prepared using the same oil, while all other chicken items are prepared separately.
They believe it is important to be fully transparent with their customers regarding food preparation processes.
DMC says they are actively exploring avenues and acquiring additional equipment with increasing power capacity to enable the separation of cooking processes, including dedicating separate oil for fries to ensure they are not cooked alongside other meat products for vegetarian customers.
