[File Photo]

A restaurant is under the spotlight after it served a customer chicken soup that had maggots in it and in another incident, served a customer a chicken wrap that had a dead cockroach in it.

The two incidents have been reported to the Consumer Council of Fiji.

Council Chief Executive, Seema Shandil says the presence of maggots and cockroaches in meals is alarming and shows the level of negligence, carelessness, and money-making attitude of certain food establishments.

Shandil says while the restaurant has provided redress upon the council’s intervention, the fact that food was infested and sold to the consumer cannot be taken lightly.

She says that while legislative frameworks exist to deter such practices, some food establishments continue to defy regulations and infringe upon the rights of consumers – placing their health at risk in the process.

The Council has alerted the Ministry of Health and Municipal Councils about these cases and a collaborative approach between the organizations will be taken to address such issues.

The council will continue with its market surveillance program and is urging consumers to be vigilant and report any unethical and illegal practices that they observe in food establishments.