BEIRUT: Lebanese authorities Friday shut down two warehouses in Mount Lebanon over food safety violations, the Agriculture Ministry announced in a statement.
After a report by the ministry’s inspectors found food safety violations in Yehya Abou Diab’s kidney beans warehouse in the Shouf village of Jahilieh, police raided and shut down the establishment.
The ministry’s statement said the inspectors had found fertilizers stored near the beans and 18 containers in unsanitary conditions, three of which were being used to dye the beans green in order to make them look fresh, the statement added.
Asked about the illicit practices, Abou Diab denied that dye was meant to deceive consumers and said that no one had complained about any ailments after eating his products.
Separately, a warehouse for spices and thyme production was also closed due to food safety violations in the Aley district town of Dohat Aramoun.
The warehouse, owned by Mustafa Rannan, was located in the basement of a building currently under construction, the ministry said.
The warehouse's walls and ceiling lacked basic insulation, while spices and thyme were stored in open containers.
The warehouse’s owner was contacted by the inspectors but said the number was wrong and hung up. After attempting to call the owner, a man driving a truck carrying 12 large bags of thyme arrived at the location and confirmed that the warehouse is owned by Rannan.
However, when called from the driver’s phone, Rannan denied again that he owns a warehouse and ended the call, the ministry’s statement told.
Police were then called to the scene and shut down the warehouse.
The truck’s cargo was also confiscated due to lack the of production and expiration dates.
Agriculture Minister Akram Chehayeb also announced that the state would file chrages against both owners and referred the file to the State Prosecution office, the statement said.
The raids are the latest in a series of measures that the ministries of agriculture and health have been carrying out since Health Minister Wael Abu Faour announced last November a nation-wide crackdown on food safety violations.
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