BEIRUT: High-profile supermarkets and eateries reeled Thursday from fresh revelations of contaminated food at major establishments in the capital, the latest in a food security scandal that has rocked Lebanon.
Health Minister Wael Abu Faour revealed the names of more restaurants, bakeries and supermarkets selling contaminated food.
The establishments included well-known restaurants like Halabi in Antelias, north of Beirut, Abu Joseph in nearby Jal al-Dib and Hashem in the Kesrouan province.
Abu Faour vowed to push ahead with his crackdown, despite attacks by some of his Cabinet colleagues, who said his move was destructive to the tourism and food industry.
“The campaign is ongoing,” he told a news conference. “We will not stop,” he said, stressing that he would not succumb to intimidation.
The highly anticipated naming provoked a flurry of criticism from ministers accusing Abu Faour of recklessness, while others reiterated their support for the campaign.
Economy Minister Alain Hakim accused Abu Faour of committing “terrorism against the restaurants.”
“It is like shooting ourselves in the head, not even in the foot,” he told reporters before entering Thursday’s Cabinet session.
Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon said he was opposed to Abu Faour’s publicly naming the restaurants, saying the announcement damaged their reputations, even though the problem of contaminated meat might not be their fault, but that of the suppliers.
“The restaurants take from sources that might be themselves the problem. The real inspection should be done on the suppliers,” he said, adding that Lebanon’s restaurants had a great reputation worldwide.
MP Walid Jumblatt, who has stood by Abu Faour over the past two days, reiterated his support in a tweet saying the initiative was meant to protect consumers.
“It is a shame that some ministers did not support the cause of proper food and stand with the interest of the citizen,” he tweeted. “It is a must to continue this action and have strict measures against the various lobbies destroying our health.”
Meanwhile, the Internal Security Forces said that all the establishments listed by Abu Faour Tuesday had since pledged to stop selling the products in question until the situation was legally resolved.
The food security scandal was the hottest topic on the Cabinet’s agenda. The government ordered the formation of a ministerial committee on food safety, which will include Hakim, Pharaon and Abu Faour. The committee is tasked with reaching an agreement on how to deal with the matter.
