Meat company under fire

A lawmaker called for boycotting the country’s only meat importing company, as he alleged them of focusing only on financial profits, not the safety of citizens and residents.

Following the recent reports of detecting contaminated meat at Bahrain Livestock Company (BLC), MP Ali Al Muqla alleged that the company was intending to put the products on display at local markets, despite the warnings of veterinarians.

“BLC planned to distribute 90 slaughtered sheep that are stored since September 30 in the market. Veterinarians warned that the meat wouldn’t be fit for human consumption if it’s not kept refrigerated for 3 hours. This is an irresponsible act towards the safety of the public and the matter has been referred to the Public Prosecution,” Al Muqla said in a press statement.

The MP also alleged, “the company threatened one of the veterinarians who detected the contaminated meat, in a bid to pressure to change his veterinary report and prevent him from exposing the matter to the public.”

He commented, “We thank the honest veterinarian who refused to jeopardize the public’s health and we demand the immediate formation of an investigation panel to hold the individuals behind this crime before the law.”

Elaborating further, Al Muqla asserted, “the detected shipment was within the subsidised meat products and BLC was intending to sell it to butchers and traders as if it was included in the unsubsidised meat, aiming to make a profit of at least BD3 per kilogramme.”

“Why is the Government is still insisting on supporting a company that has a history in cheating the public, doesn’t care about their health and is only concerned about making financial profit,” the lawmaker questioned, calling the government to “end BLC’s monopolisation of the local meat market.”

Al Muqla added that BLC destroyed the contaminated meat after the matter was leaked to the public. BLC officials refused to comment on the matter.

Al Muqla is a member of the extraordinary parliamentary committee that was formed to investigate the repeated detection of contaminated meat stocks during the first months of 2015. 

DT News reported on Thursday that 90 slaughtered Australian sheep were seized from the market by the company.

Social media users’ claimed it was a result of the ongoing campaign to boycott meat products, while a representative of the company denied and said that “it’s a normal procedure of any establishment to seize their products from the market.”