Chicken complaint sparks quality warning

A customer’s concern over green, black and yellow material found in a chicken product has prompted the Consumer Council of Fiji to call for tighter quality controls on food sold to consumers.

Consumer Council chief executive officer Seema Shandil warned retailers and suppliers to take their responsibilities seriously and ensure food products were safe and of the required quality before reaching supermarket shelves.

“People are giving good money,” she said.

Ms Shandil urged consumers who encountered problems with food products to keep their receipts and raise the issue with retailers.

“Lodge your complaints. Actions will be taken,” she said.

She said retailers and suppliers should provide answers when consumers raised concerns about products they had purchased.

Ms Shandil also called for stronger quality control when food products were packed and supplied to supermarkets.

“I call on the suppliers and the retailers to ensure that there is quality control whenever anything is packed and supplied on shelves for consumers to purchase and take it home,” she said.

The council said it had received complaints about food products, including meat reported to be of poor quality or to have an unusual smell.

Ms Shandil said suppliers and retailers had a responsibility to ensure products met required standards because consumers were paying for what they purchased.

“They are not taking it for free; they are paying a price,” she said.

Questions were sent to the retailer concerned, but no response had been received when this story was published.