People are being urged to be vigilant when buying food from roadside stalls after a couple found maggots in BBQ purchased from a stall in Valelevu, Nasinu, at around 1am today.
The man has told fijivillage News he had already taken a few bites before discovering the maggots.
Consumer Council of Fiji CEO Seema Shandil says finding maggots in food is a serious breach of food safety standards and indicates a possible breakdown in hygiene, storage or quality control.
Shandil says maggots in food are never normal and their presence may indicate that food has been contaminated or has been stale for several days.
She says roadside stalls and all food establishments have a responsibility to ensure the food they sell is safe, fit for purpose and fit for human consumption.
Shandil is advising consumers who find maggots in food to stop eating immediately and consider the entire product contaminated.
She says people should preserve the evidence by keeping the food in its original packaging where possible, taking clear photographs of the food, maggots and packaging, and keeping their receipt or proof of purchase.
She says people should also note the date, time and location of purchase and return to the retailer with the food, receipt and photographs to request a full refund or replacement.
Shandil says people should also report food safety concerns to the Consumer Council while concerns can also be reported to the Ministry of Health or the relevant Municipal Council.
Shandil says the food stalls in question operate after business hours and such matters are escalated to the Nasinu Town Council for inspection and any necessary enforcement action.
She says the Council is currently conducting surveillance of bakeries and restaurants and will soon extend this to roadside stalls.
However, Shandil says monitoring vendors who operate through the night and into the early morning hours presents significant challenges.
She is urging roadside food vendors to check their food, store it properly, protect it from flies and contamination, and throw away food that is not safe.
Questions have also been sent to the Nasinu Town Council.
