Dubai: Dubai Municipality has fined a manufacturing company for a dead fly and maggot found inside one of their biscuits that was bought by a Dubai resident at a local grocery.
The municipality’s action came following a complaint from 50-year-old Dubai resident Roberto Gergio, whose name has been changed on request, who was shocked by what he saw after opening a packet of biscuits.
Gergio bought a “buy six, get two free” cashew cookies at a local grocery store in the first of week of March.
The biscuits are due to expire in September, according to the packaging. After eating two packets, he was startled when he opened the third.
“I saw a black form stuck inside the cover and another foreign object lying on the first biscuit. Upon closer scrutiny, I realised they were a dead fly and a maggot respectively,” Gergio, a media professional, told Gulf News.
“I had finished eating two packets when I began to notice what I was eating.”
Gergio said he took photos of the insects and immediately contacted Dubai Municipality.
After receiving Gergio’s complaint, an official from the municipality’s call centre contacted him to ensure the validity of his complaint.
Municipal inspectors then visited the shop that sold the biscuits, who then contacted the distributor.
The municipality contacted the factory to check on how the fly made it into the packaging and to take the necessary corrective measures.
The complaint was proved valid and the manufacturing company was fined, an official said, without elaborating on the amount of the fine.
Gulf News repeatedly contacted the manufacturer for a comment but the company could not be reached through email or phone.
Repeated attempts to contact the parent company in another Asian country, via phone and email, were made, but no official was available for comment at press time.
Dubai Municipality has urged residents to report any suspicious objects in their food so they can carry out immediate action.
The Food Control Department received 456 reports and complaints in January and February, of which 93.86 per cent were resolved.
What to do when you find a foreign object in your food
1) Call 800900 to report the incident. Take photos or videos of the food item as proof.
2) Complainants will be asked to provide their name, mobile number, name of the area, street number or name of the mall, name of the food establishment and the details of their issue. They may also be asked to send documentary proof to support their claim.
3) According to the nature of the complaint, it will be directed to the responsible department for investigation. In some cases, there will be visits to the establishment in question.
