4 March 2009 MEDIA RELEASE Consumers cheated on basic commodity such as bread The prices of basic commodities in the country have always been a concern of the Consumer Council
of Fiji. The latest basic commodity that has the Council’s attention is the weight of bread. Lately,
consumers have been inundating the Council with their complaints over the weight of bread. The
complaints relate mostly to the long loaf bread, which is commonly purchased by consumers in almost
every household.
Long loaf bread is a price-controlled item by the Prices and Incomes Board. Under the Counter
Inflation Order Number 23, long loaf bread should be 400 gram by weight and sold to consumers at a
VAT inclusive price of $0.70 cents.
The Council conducted a survey to determine the weight of the long loaf bread. Thirteen samples were
collected from bakeries around Suva in the morning and taken to Weights and Measures Department to
get it weighed. The findings revealed that out of the thirteen bakeries where the bread was purchased
from, seven bakeries had underweight long loaf breads whereas six bakeries had slightly higher weight.
The bread weights in the survey ranged from a high of 504.4 gram to a low of 274.9 gram
The shortfall ranged between 381g to 274.9g. The lowest weight (274.9gram) was short of 125.1 gram.
This bread was from Top Taste bread and cake shop in Laucala Beach Estate. The bakeries, which sold
underweight bread, is shown in the table below:
Long Loaf Bread Weight 02/03/09
No
Bread Shop
1 Nina Bread Shop
Nina Street
2
3
4
5
6
7
Cost
$0.70
Net Weight
400g
381g
Hot Bread Kitchen
Samabula
The Top Taste Bread &
Cake Shop
Centrepont
Hot Bread Kitchen
Raiwaqa
Raiwaqa Bakery
$0.70
400g
371.2g
$0.70
400g
274.9g
$0.70
400g
364.6g
$0.70
400g
382.8g
Lu Store,
8 mile
Hot Bread Kitchen
Victoria Parade
$0.70
400g
375g
$0.70
400g
358.10g
Source: Consumer Council of Fiji & Weights and Measures, 2nd March 2009
Member, Consumers International (CI)
Member, Standards Association of New Zealand (SANZ)
Weight
Hot bread kitchen, which has a chain of outlets in Fiji, registered different weights in four of their
bakeries as shown in the table.
Bread weight of Hot Bread kitchen bakery
Location
Hot bread kitchen Samabula
Hot bread kitchen Nabua
Hot bread kitchen Raiwaqa
Hot bread kitchen Victoria Parade.
Weight
*372.1g
414.3g
*364.6g
*358.1g
*underweight Source: Consumer Council of Fiji & Weights and Measures, 2nd March 2009
The bakeries, which registered higher than the stipulated 400-gram weight, are:
Bakery/shop
Ram’s Hot bread shop. Shalimar street
Yok Faith Store (Your neighbourhood store) Flagstaff.
Shop n Save bakery ,Nabua
Nabua bakery and cake shop, Nabua
Hot bread kitchen, Nabua
Weight
403g
406.9g
430.5g
504.4g
414.3g
It is evident that there are bakeries, which are selling underweight long loaf bread. It is ironic that
consumers are being cheated, as they could not get the real value of product for their money. Selling
underweight products to consumers is a serious matter under the Trade Measurement Decree 1989. Traders
who are responsible for pre-packed articles need to ensure that consumers are ultimately receiving the
amount of product that is stated on the packaging or required under the legislation.
Many items are sold by weight or have a weight listed as part of their label. Consumers assume that the
weight listed is true and correct. It is one of the many jobs of the Department of Weights and Measures
to insure that the weights stated are indeed correct. In this case, the Council would like the Weights and
Measures Department to take the non-complying bakeries in the survey to task and to conduct this
survey exercise Fiji wide.
The Department must monitor the weight of bread on a regular basis to protect consumers from
unscrupulous bakery owners. In failing to take action against these traders, it would serve no sense to
legislate the weight of bread if traders are allowed to get away with their unscrupulous behaviour.
Furthermore, consumers have additionally questioned the unchanged high prices of bread when the
price of flour and sharp has decreased in the past month. The Council calls on PIB to act swiftly to
bring the prices of bread down to better reflect the reduction in the flour and sharp prices.
Yours sincerely,
.........………………
Mrs Premila Kumar
Chief Executive Officer
Member, Consumers International (CI)
Member, Standards Association of New Zealand (SANZ)