Dili, April 19, 2025 (Média Democracia) – An inspection team from AIFAESA, together with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Labor Inspectors, recently carried out joint inspections and supervision of both food and non-food products at the Frizy Company. This inspection activity took place on Wednesday this week.
AIFAESA I.P General Inspector, Odete da Silva Viegas, a dermatologist, stated that their presence was related to the Frizy company, which had already been inspected directly on March 6, 2025. AIFAESA also received community complaints regarding the company’s production, and the inspection team identified three violations, including hygiene issues, the use of expired raw materials, and the production of alcoholic beverages without the appropriate license, while the company was producing juice drinks targeted at children.
“The drinks produced came in three variants such as strawberry, guava, and orange and the company had already distributed these products throughout the territory. Although they had been given two chances during prior sessions, today we are here to enforce the permanent closure of the Frizy factory for failing to comply with the requirements set by AIFAESA,” explained Odete da Silva Viegas.
She further noted that the company failed to meet both production regulations and proper conditions for public consumption, which could directly impact consumers, especially children’s health. Information from last month revealed cases of children who consumed these juices and suffered poisoning, requiring treatment at health centers and clinics.
“We received information, and upon further checks, we discovered that many children had consumed these drinks. We urge all consumers to immediately stop consuming Frizy company’s juices, and our inspection team will collect all the drinks from stores to prevent any health impact on the community,” she added.
She emphasized that Frizy Company was permanently shut down due to persistent non-compliance with AIFAESA regulations. Should the company wish to resume operations in the future, they must first comply with all legal procedures not only from AIFAESA but also from other relevant institutions and obtain joint certification confirming that the facility meets the required standards.
“Frizy Company must meet three key conditions: pay fines for the violations, obtain the correct licenses for its activities, and resolve any other issues identified. Each violation carries a fine of $2,000, making a total of $4,000 for two violations. However, since the company failed to meet conditions even after prior notices, the decision has been made to close it permanently,” she explained.
She also mentioned that the inspection team confiscated the drinks and frozen products during the inspection, and called on the public to report to authorities if they find any of the company’s drinks still available in stores.
As Labor Inspector (IT) Frederico P. de Matos stated that this joint action, alongside Dr. Odete, aimed to permanently shut down Frizy Company’s operations due to its failure to meet AIFAESA requirements, and because some of its products were not fit for distribution in the national market.
“The products were found to lack proper hygiene, which could harm public health, so the process has led to permanent closure. This situation also affects the company’s workers. We identified 14 workers employed at the company consisting of 2 women and 12 men and this impacts their employment status,” said Labor Inspector Frederico P. de Matos.
He added that the company must uphold all workers’ rights. If the company is closed and employees are dismissed, the company must resolve their labor rights. The inspection team will meet with the company manager to address labor-related matters and ensure the workers’ rights are protected.
“We want to make it clear that the workers are not at fault, the responsibility lies with the company. Therefore, we will ensure the workers receive their rightful compensation and discuss labor issues directly with the company management,”he said.
He further explained that the workers had served the company for varying periods, ranging from one to three years. Each worker is entitled to compensation based on their length of service, which will be determined through discussion so that their rights are fully respected.
He concluded by explaining that according to AIFAESA’s records, the agency had temporarily closed 19 establishments and permanently closed two such as Frizy and Seara, making a total of 21 cases recorded in Dili Capital, including the Special Administrative Region of Oecusse-Ambeno (RAEOA).
Reported by: Nelfiano
Photo by: ALFAESA Media Officer