A yummy sandwich and a mouthwatering kebab. Dare you take a bite?
French ready-made sandwiches and kebabs may look appetising, but they’re not always safe to eat.
An official report on the hygiene in sandwich bars, bakeries and oriental eateries reveals some risky trends in the fast food business. One in three sandwich bars doesn’t comply with food safety regulations, one in two bakeries doesn’t follow the rules, and three in five kebab-selling eateries are sloppy with hygiene.
In the 600 investigated sandwich bars, the results were “alarming“. Lack of hygiene and illicit freezing of food go together with outright consumer fraud. Surimi is sold as crab, pork shoulder as ham, driving up prices without justification.
Among the 405 visited oriental eateries, 250 didn’t respect the rules of hygiene. A major gripe is that food and offal are not properly separated, and customers are not informed, or deliberately mis-informed, about the type of meat they get.
Nearly 50% of all 128 investigated bakeries take liberties with hygiene, with the exception of “professional bakers” who seem to know the rules of the trade rather well..
The report stresses the need for better policing of the trade, and better staff training. Under current legislation, anybody can sell sandwiches or kebabs, without any qualification or experience.
Bon appetit – if you dare…
