Lidl Bulgaria described the temporary closure of its store in Vidin as “unprecedented institutional pressure” and a disproportionate administrative measure. The company said that the outlet resumed operations at 12:00 p.m. on November 10.
The statement concerns an inspection carried out on November 9 by the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency and the Commission for Consumer Protection. Earlier, the BFSA reported 343 kilograms of fish, chicken, burgers and offal stored at an incorrect temperature, as well as 270 kilograms of moldy cabbage. The quantities were ordered to be destroyed, while the agency ordered the suspension of all operations and drew up a statement establishing an administrative violation.
Lidl claims that the affected products were in a storage area, set aside for transportation and destruction, and had not been offered to customers. The company also said that an external service technician had begun working on refrigeration equipment before the inspectors entered at 1:09 p.m., and that the fault had been repaired by 1:30 p.m.
Eight inspections in five weeks
The inspection on November 9 lasted nearly eight hours and was carried out by seven inspectors during a regular shift staffed by five employees at the store. Lidl said that this was the eighth inspection at the particular branch in the past five weeks, whereas the usual frequency was an average of one inspection per month. On November 3 and 9, representatives of two supervisory institutions entered the outlet simultaneously.
At the national level, the company reported 171 inspections at its stores in the last two weeks of October alone. By comparison, the average monthly number since the beginning of the year has been 86. Since the beginning of October, Lidl also reported 158 open inspections by the BFSA, the Commission for Consumer Protection and the National Revenue Agency, which are being processed or appealed.
Dispute over hygiene and food
The company described the hygiene findings at the bakery as localized grease on trays, soot on the wall behind the convection oven and a contaminated air-conditioning unit. According to Lidl, only the bakery section remains temporarily restricted pending the results of the samples, which are expected within three days.
The chain said that during the inspection of packaging bags intended for contact with food, the inspectors confirmed that they complied with national and European requirements.
“Lidl Bulgaria is taking all legal measures through the courts and will not allow the work of more than 4,000 employees, hundreds of reliable partners and suppliers, as well as the trust of millions of customers, to be held hostage by such actions,” the company said.
Lidl further claims that rank-and-file inspectors had unofficially shared that they were under pressure to look for grounds to close outlets. This claim is part of the company’s position and has not been confirmed by the supervisory institutions. The chain said it would use photographic material and the evidence gathered in subsequent legal proceedings.
Sources: novini.bg, profit.bg