Fifty per cent of more than 110 restaurants surveyed by the Consumer Council of Fiji are operating without a valid Health License, says CEO Seema Shandil.
Ms Shandil says the market surveillance conducted by the CCoF revealed an alarming number of the eateries had failed to meet basic hygiene and food safety standards.
“The council undertook a comprehensive surveillance operation in June which covered 111 food establishments in Suva, Lautoka, and Labasa,” she said.
“The results were concerning, with almost 50 per cent (55 out of 111) of surveyed establishments either operating without a valid Health License or displaying an expired Health License.
“The surveillance also uncovered an alarming lack of adherence to food grading requirements, where 81 per cent of the restaurants surveyed (90 out of 111) failed to display a valid Food Grading Certificate.”
She said upon further enquiry, traders claimed that their establishments had not been inspected by authorities in order to ascertain a food grading.
“The Food Grading system allows restaurants to be awarded either ‘A’ grade (90 per cent or more compliance to Food Safety requirements), ‘B’ grade (80 to 89 per cent compliance), C grade (70 to 79 per cent compliance) and D grade (less than 70 per cent compliance).
“Notably, authorized officers have the power to order the closure of establishments that receive a grade of ‘C’ or lower, depending on the nature of non-compliance.”
