Street food vendors are evading health officials, says Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete.
He made the comment in relation to reports of 14 people who got sick after buying hot dogs from a vendor opposite the Suva Bus Stand.
“Under the food Act, any person that wants to sell food must be licensed.
“This includes those who want to sell food on roadsides, they also need to apply for a licence so that they can be assessed to make sure that they meet the requirements.
“Some of them are very mobile, they could be in one location and as soon as they know there’s some form of assessment that’s coming through, you see them pack up and leave.
“Those are some of the challenges the health inspectors face but certainly as a whole front, every food and beverage outlet has to meet requirements.
“We know that quite a lot of people who are selling food on the roadside or walking through communities have not necessarily met those requirements but should by law.”
