Council warns public on food items

 THE Lae City Council has warned members of the public not to buy food items taken from the burnt Pelgens Supermarket and sold on the streets.

The council issued the warning yesterday after a number of people were found selling canned meat and fish taken from the gutted shop.

The Pelgens Wholesale was gutted by fire on Feb 1. 

The council’s environmental health officer, Kevin Bimbim said people who ate the food were at risk of food poisoning.

“These foods are contaminated. They are unfit for human consumption,” Bimbim said.

“The Lae public must not buy these foodstuff. These food items have long term health implications and can cause food poisoning.”

Bimbim said shops and individuals reselling the products would be penalised.

He said the offenders would either be fined, have the items removed from them or have their trading places shut down. 

He said under the Food and Sanitation Regulation Act, it was illegal to sell contaminated items.

The council said awareness had been carried out in the Miles area, Papuan Compound and Kamkumung for people not to eat the items.

“Our health promotion officer will go on air tomorrow to inform the people about the danger,” he said.