Parliament orders crackdown on unhygienic restaurants

Parliament has directed the Consumer Council of Fiji to work closely with municipal health divisions to crack down on unhygienic practices in restaurants across the country.

The Standing Committee on Social Affairs made the recommendation after reviewing the council’s Annual Reports from 2019-2023, tabled in Parliament last week.

“The committee recommends that the Council work closely with the municipalities health divisions to address unhygienic practices,” the report stated.

The move follows a nationwide survey of restaurants conducted by the Council which revealed widespread unhygienic practices in food establishments.

Food safety complaints escalated significantly during the COVID-19 period, with expired goods, mislabelling and hygiene issues ranking among the top complaint categories.

Council chief executive officer Seema Shandil told the committee in August that food and drinks complaints remained the second highest category after landlord-tenancy disputes.

The council responded by conducting more market surveillances, publishing food safety advisories and working with health inspectors to enforce compliance.

However, the committee noted the council lacked enforcement powers and had to refer violations to agencies like municipal health divisions and the Ministry of Health for action.

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