Checkers Langeverwacht – serious ongoing food safety issue (certain fridges not cooling)

We drive about 30 minutes to shop at Checkers Langverwacht (Kuilsriver - Cape Town), but I’m now at the point where we sometimes walk out and shop elsewhere because of an ongoing food safety issue that has not been resolved.

The fridge next to the cheese section at the food deli (the one that holds the fresh sandwiches, puddings/mousse and similar ready-to-eat foods - I have photos of the fridges to show their location) is repeatedly not cold and feels like it’s running at room temperature. This is completely unacceptable for perishable foods. Items such as sushi, chicken mayo sandwiches, chicken samoosas, beef vetkoek, and other ready-to-eat products cannot be stored at room temperature without posing a serious health risk.

Even more concerning: the sealed cold salads stored in this same fridge often puff up like a balloon. That is a major red flag that something is wrong with temperature control and food safety.

I have complained multiple times and have personally taken both the foods manager and the store manager to these fridges to show them the issue. To make the point, I even picked up a block of cheese from the properly working fridge next to these warm fridges and had the manager hold it to feel the clear temperature difference. Despite this, nothing changes.

This needs urgent action: fix or replace the refrigeration immediately, verify correct temperatures, and remove any high-risk products until the cold chain can be reliably maintained. Customers should not have to worry about getting sick from ready-to-eat foods bought at a major retailer.