Abou Faour Says Some Establishments Now Meet Food Safety Standards as New Violators Named

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour vowed on Wednesday that the ministry will continue its food safety campaign regardless of intimidation or attempts to extort the inspectors, while revealing that some establishments that had committed violations have since exerted efforts to meet health standards.

He said during a press conference: “Our campaign has once again brought up the issue of food safety at cabinet and no one should bank on our failure or exasperation in this case.”

“All parliamentary blocs and political powers have an interest in backing our campaign,” he added before reporters.

“We will not let down the Lebanese people,” Abou Faour declared.

He then unveiled a new list of establishments that are violating food safety standards:

- Morena Supermarket: Cordon bleu, sausages, and beef soujouk (hot sausages) / Keserouan

- Trem Supermarket: Chicken leg, taouk, minced meat, sausages, and kafta / Keserouan

- Moins Prix Supermarket: Halloum cheese / Zouq Mosbeh

- Zakka Market: Kafta, hamburger, kafta, red taouk, chicken liver, and minced meat / Sarba

- Barhoush: Hamburger, kafta, and minced meat / Sahel Alma

- Haberco: Sausages / Sarba

- Saint Georges Supermarket: Minced meat, chicken legs, and seasoned chicken

- Caprice Supermarket: Hamburger, sausages, and chicken legs / Ballouneh

- Antoine Supermarket: Sausages / Kosba

- Abbas al-Solh: Dough / Baalbek

- Kaak Abou Arab: Mortadella with pistachio / Aley

- Afra al- Moukhtar: Dough / Aley

- Jean al-Adem Mini market: Chicken / Bsharre

- Mansour Fakhry: Double cream

- Mhanna Restaurant: Chicken breast / Antelias

- Al-Sabah chicken: Chicken liver / al-Nabatiyeh

- Baguette Sub Restaurant: Steak / al-Nabatiyeh

- Taha butchery: Sausages / al-Nabatiyeh

- Al-Amir butchery: Meat / al-Nabatiyeh

- Abdul Qader al-Sharif slaughterhouse: Chicken breast

- Al-Jawad Restaurant: Seasoned chicken / Tyre

- Abou Deeb Restaurant: Chicken / Tyre

- Al-Rahi Restaurant: Hot sausages

- Istihlakiyah of the South: Hot sausages and chicken / Tyre

- KFC: Chicken breast / al-Shiyyah

- Harqous Chicken: Taouk / Baabda

- Zaghloul Restaurant: Minced meat and whole chicken / al-Shiyyah

- Al-Mouhatta Restaurant: Raw kafta / al-Shiyyah

- Coop al-Makhazin: Hot sausages / Kfarhim

- Youssef al-Abdy slaughterhouse: Chicken / Halba

- Imad Nabout slaughterhouse: Chicken / Halba

- Kababji Restaurant: Raw kebab meat / Hamra, Beirut

- Alia Restaurant: Kafta / Hamra, Beirut

Other establishments were permanently shut until lab tests are revealed:

- Farrouj Abou Hmeid

- Suleiman al-Natour

- Al-Mithaq commercial establishment

- Jihad al-Natour butchery and warehouse

- Awad al-Dahour warehous

- Rajab Asaad Ashram

Abou Faour then revealed that a number of violators mentioned in previous lists have since carried out efforts to ensure that they meet the necessary standards.

The minister then addressed the case of slaughterhouses in Lebanon, revealing that the Beirut abattoir “is dedicated to serving people, not animals.”

“It does not meet health or Islamic standards,” he said in reference to the halal or Muslim method of butchering animals.

Commenting on the Sabra slaughterhouse in Beirut, he said that it has since been closed for failing to meet health standards.

“I am too ashamed to present to the media what the inspectors discovered at Sabra,” he added.

Some butcheries in the area have been temporarily closed until lab test results are released, while others were permanently closed “for failing to meet the minimum amount of standards.”

On Sunday, inspectors from the Health Ministry were threatened by slaughterhouse and butchery workers in Sabra as they attempted to take samples for testing.

They were later allowed entry following the arrival of security forces at the scene.

Abou Faour had in recent weeks launched a food safety campaign throughout Lebanon in an effort to improve health standards in the country.

He has unveiled two lists of violating establishments that include a number of popular restaurants and shops.

A number of establishments have since been closed for their violations.

Economy Minister Alain Hakim revealed on Tuesday that he will close several labneh factories for violating food safety regulations, in a move that echoes Abou Faour's efforts.

M.T.

H.K.