Discolored meats have been discovered in the storage area of a Labasa supermarket. Vakaruru Cavuilati, the Divisional North Health Inspector, stated that the supermarket has received a notice of non-compliance with food safety regulations.
“This issue was identified during a routine surveillance conducted in collaboration with the municipality,” Mr. Cavuilati explained, noting that improper storage temperatures led to the discoloration of the meat.
“We removed the frozen products that had discolored for laboratory testing to check for microbial growth,” he added. Mr. Cavuilati mentioned that the supermarket’s freezer had been inactive for over two weeks.
“They informed us that they intended to open their storage to install a fan, which may have resulted in inadequate circulation of cold air in the container,” he said. Furthermore, he confirmed that the supermarket has not sold any meat since the freezer’s closure.