“Greenish-gray meats (…) in cold cuts, molds, living or dead mice, mouse excrement in chorizo stoves, cheese picked up with a raclette on the ground to make processed cheese”… No, it is not a horror film scenario: this is what investigators of the Court of Auditors discovered by analyzing the composition of classified food products ” first price “.
Their report, published this Thursday, May 29 by the Breton daily The Telegram, highlights “serious breaches of hygienic conditions” in the manufacturing process of hard discount foods, but also “traceability flaws” in the production chain … Another worrying fact: in addition to their unattractive discoveries, the inspectors also noted the presence of pesticides in food and recalled that in 2012, France was still the world’s third largest user of pesticides for agricultural use …
Health checks remain rare
Problem: the inspectors of the National Veterinary and Phytosanitary Investigations Brigade (BNEVP) also realized the lack of personnel in the branches of food security. Thus, health checks remain rare: “A direct delivery establishment (butcher’s shop, restaurant, shopping center, etc.) will be checked on average three times in a century!” There are only 43 agents to control more than 110,000 collective catering establishments (hospitals, school canteens, etc.) ”recalls The Telegram.
Conclusion? “The offer of low-cost products may seem attractive, but their systematic consumption by a growing population could ultimately have repercussions on public health” alert the inspectors. All the more reason to pay attention to the labels during weekly shopping, and to consuming responsibly…
Do you regularly shop in hard-discount stores? Do you plan to continue? Come talk about it on the forum!