Photo: Counsumer Council of Fiji
Fiji's Consumer Council says expiry date tampering continues to be a widespread issue as it reveals a recent case.
The Council said a recent case involved a major supermarket chain, which it did not name but which has branches in most towns and cities in Fiji.
It said the supermarket was found tampering with expiry dates on a dairy product.
"The original expiry date on the product label, which was clearly marked as November 2024, was deliberately blocked out using a permanent marker," the council said in a statement.
"A new, fraudulent expiry date of 2025 was then printed on the container, misleading unsuspecting consumers."
The matter has been officially referred to the Health Department under the respective unicipal council for further investigation.
"The Council strongly condemns this supermarket for its blatant disregard for consumer rights and public safety. Such actions are not only unethical but also a serious violation of trust."
Consumer Council chief executive Seema Shandil said supermarkets have been repeatedly warned about such deceptive practices.
"Yet some continue to engage in them knowingly," she said.
"This is an unacceptable breach of consumer trust, and we will not tolerate such reckless behaviour."
The Council said under the Food Safety Act and Food Safety Regulations, it is strictly prohibited to sell any food where essential information regarding an important aspect of the product has been concealed or presented in a misleading manner.
This is not a new issue in Fiji. The Council has revealed instances of date-tampering before, and in 2019, a pharmacy in the Nasinu municipality selling contraceptives which had expired in 2013.
In 2021, fijivillage.com reported Suva-based retailer Ahmed and Company was fined FJ$10,000 (approximately US$4280) for tampering with the expiry date on Shan fish masala.
The company was charged for false and misleading representation after a routine inspection discovered the expiry date on the packets had been altered to read 2019, instead of 2017.
The company submitted that staff had committed the act without the knowledge of the owner, to which the court responded that it is the responsibility of any business to ensure that only safe and consumable products are put for sale.
The company had also pleaded guilty to the charges.
Consumers who come across any suspicious food labelling or expiry date tampering are urged to report such incidents to the Consumer Council of Fiji immediately.
