VBS cracks down on expired and unsafe food products

November 12, 2025 11:07 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

By Hilaire Bule.

The Vanuatu Bureau of Standards (VBS) is currently carrying out an assessment and inspection surveillance of food products sold in shops in Port Vila and Luganville.

This follows a notice of conformity assessment and inspection surveillance for food products issued by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of VBS, Atanas Pipite, to retail shop owners in both towns.

Vanuatu Daily Post yesterday witnessed the seizure of expired food items during the inspection in several Chinese shops in Port Vila.

VBS inspectors told Daily Post that they have been confiscating expired food products from some shops in Port Vila since last week, and the inspection continues this week.

They said they also removed food products with missing labels or damaged packaging.

Inspectors further reported that some items suspected to pose health risks to consumers have been taken for laboratory analysis.

One concern raised was about imported eggs. Inspectors explained that the eggs are transported in containers under controlled temperatures but are later exposed to different conditions upon arrival in Port Vila and Luganville.

The inspectors said the eggs will be analysed at the VBS laboratory, as they could pose health risks to consumers.

They noted that when the eggs are broken, the yolks should remain firm, but in this case, that was not happening.

The surveillance covers verification of product labelling, ingredient declarations and expiry dates; assessment of storage conditions, temperature control and shelf management; inspection of imported and locally produced food products for compliance; and sampling for laboratory testing under the VBS conformity assessment programme. It also checks compliance with both national and international food safety standards.

CEO Pipite said the current exercise represents a high-level conformity assessment inspection mandated under the VBS Act and reaffirmed by a ministerial directive from the Minister of Trade and Commerce to ensure that food standards across Vanuatu are maintained to protect consumers and support fair trade.

He said the inspection will be conducted in phases, covering all key aspects of food safety, labelling, and product quality.

Mr. Pipite said that as the government’s primary authority for conformity assessment, the bureau—through its offices and national laboratory—will conduct detailed scientific analysis of food products sold in retail shops.

“This will constitute the first nationwide, in-depth conformity assessment study of its kind. The findings will provide policymakers with a clear picture of the quality of food available to consumers and help raise national food standards to ensure that the people of Vanuatu consume safe, high-quality products that meet both national and international benchmarks,” Mr. Pipite said.

He added that maintaining these standards strengthens consumer protection, fair trade, and confidence in the national market system.

The VBS CEO said this initiative aims not only to protect public health but also to improve overall business practices across the supply chain, benefiting both the private sector and consumers in Vanuatu.