Kelera Ditaiki 
[Photo: File]
The Consumer Council of Fiji is stepping up its checks on school canteens to ensure students have access to safe, healthy and quality food.
Chief Executive Seema Shandil says students are consumers too, and the Council regularly monitors school canteens.
“We do market surveillances or we do contact surveys with school canteens and whatever issues we find; we flag it to the school heads so that the issues are rectified. Because sometimes parents reach out to us if they have concerns in regards to school canteens. And we also do regular, as I said, surveillances.”
Shandil says the Council also receives complaints from parents about the quality and prices of food sold at schools.
She says concerns identified through inspections or complaints are raised with school heads so they can be addressed with canteen operators.
The Council also contributes to discussions on school canteen policies to ensure consumer concerns are considered.
Shandil says the priority is making sure students have access to safe, healthy and quality food.
