During a press conference held at the headquarters of the Federation of Bakery Unions of Lebanon, the bakery unions reiterated on Wednesday their support for Wooden Bakery, that was “unjustly subjected” to accusations of compromising food safety.
On May 28, Assaad Bou Habib, the owner of Wooden Bakery, was arrested when a stock of allegedly expired wheat was discovered in one of his branches in the Bekaa region.
Samples of all categories of wheat from Wooden Bakery were sent for analysis and all were found to be safe.
Bou Habib clarified that, according to international standards, flour can be stored for three months, and it remains consumable for about a year if stored properly. “This is a fact confirmed by academics and specialists, and it is undeniable,” he said.
He emphasized that “subsidized flour is given an expiration date of three months to prevent it from being stored or marketed, regardless of its shelf life, which can extend up to a year.”
Bou Habib recalled that “all laboratory test results confirmed that the samples met the applicable standards,” noting that Wooden Bakery has a laboratory “in which flour samples are examined before acquisition and use to ensure quality.”
He deplored the hasty judgements made on social media even before the laboratory test results were published, reminding that the bakery sector is “one of the pillars of the free Lebanese economy.” “Despite all the crises and difficulties, it still tries to provide thousands of job opportunities to many Lebanese families and attract investments that will help the country overcome difficulties,” he added, calling on “all responsible parties and stakeholders to work on updating laws and to prevent institutions from falling victim to injustice.”
In turn, the president of the Bread Manufacturers Union in Lebanon, Antoine Seif, warned against the dangerous impact of defamation campaigns on social media, noting that without the private sector, the national economy would have completely collapsed.
He emphasized that the bakery sector cares about the well-being of citizens and meets all food safety conditions, especially since regulatory authorities “fully assume their duty.”
