Consumer Affairs calls on Erin Farm

The Consumer Affairs Division has called on the management of Erin Farm Meat Packers Limited to offer consumers redress for the purchase of goods which have been recalled after a recent random sampling confirmed the presence of the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. A release from the Ministry of Health on Monday advised the public to dispose of a number of Erin Farm products including Chicken Franks, Spiced Ham and Turkey Ham. Code numbers for the defective goods were also given. Manager of corporate communications at the Consumer Affairs Division, Arlene Stephens, in an interview yesterday, noted that while the Ministry of Health, in advising consumers to dispose of the infected goods, was protecting the public’s health, Erin Farm had to bear some corporate responsibility.

“They need to say what they intend to do to compensate affected consumers,” she asserted. She advised that consumers contact the suppliers from whom they purchased the foodstuff to determine the mechanism set up by them to provide redress to affected persons. An official of Tru Valu Supermarket, Long Circular Mall, revealed that affected customers would be refunded for their purchases of the affected goods.  They were required to walk with either a proof of purchase, or the items before this refund could be effected. When Newsday contacted the head offices of Hilo Food Stores, we were told that Erin Farm Meat Packers would be giving a statement on the matter today. Attempts to reach Leong Poi, director of Erin Farm Meat Packers, proved futile as he was in a Board meeting all afternoon. However, we were informed that the executives of Erin Farm Meat Packers would be holding a press conference tomorrow.