The Consumer Council of Fiji is pushing for stricter regulations and immediate fines for companies that continue to violate food safety standards, raising concerns about recurring unethical practices in the market.

General manager Seema Shandil said it was a response to a series of violations involving the sale of expired, damaged or substandard food products.

Shandil says currently the Food Safety Act imposes penalties of up to $10,000 or five years’ imprisonment for serious violations, such as the sale of adulterated food that are not enough to deter repeat offenders.

“You know, despite the warning letters and abatement notices, we can see that these problems continue to recur. And it is not that traders, retailers or wholesalers are not aware of this act. It appears that they are knowingly violating, you know, the law in force in Fiji because of the limited or low fines or penalties that are in place.

She says their call for tougher sanctions coincides with the creation of a national food safety task force, which is currently reviewing the food safety law.

“What we can see in New Zealand and Australia, the penalties range from $100,000 to $200,000, which should also be implemented in Fiji because of the recurring issues we’ve seen over the last few years.”

Shandil says that by pushing for stricter regulations and encouraging consumer vigilance, they want to ensure that companies follow the law and that consumers are protected from unsafe practices.