A northeast Calgary business cited for selling uninspected meat says the “unprofessional” actions of Alberta Health Services inspectors have unfairly harmed its reputation.
Bangla Bazar-Butcher Shop was one of three Calgary stores issued closure orders last week over uninspected meat and unhygienic conditions. Bangla and another business, Bombay Meat Masala & Samosa Factory, were able to reopen the following day after addressing issues cited by AHS inspectors.
On Saturday, a representative of Bangla Bazar told Postmedia the business has never sold uninspected meat and was wrongly accused by inspectors who twice visited the Castleridge store.
Safath Al Sunny said the confusion involved blurred inspection stamps found on six lamb carcasses during a second visit by two AHS inspectors.
“We immediately provided purchase invoices from an authorized Alberta supplier, explaining that all 15 lamb carcasses had stamps, but six stamps became blurred due to moisture,” Al Sunny wrote in an email.
“Despite this, the inspectors deemed the carcasses unsellable and issued a closure order for our meat department without conducting further investigation or verification to confirm whether the carcasses were from an authorized supplier.”
“They didn’t do their job,” he said in an interview Saturday.
The AHS order, which was lifted Friday, said Bangla was found to be selling uninspected meat, left meat uncovered on the floor of a walk-in cooler and maintained poor sanitization of food surfaces, among other violations.
Al Sunny says an AHS inspector visited the business Friday and ultimately approved the six carcasses for sale.
“They did their job the next day … after ruining our reputation,” he said.
According to Al Sunny, the butcher shop had maintained a good reputation for decades as one of the oldest halal meat stores in Calgary.
Following the shutdown, he says the business is facing reduced foot traffic and backlash online.
Bombay Meat Masala & Samosa Factory was also cited for the sale of uninspected meat.
However, owner Surinder Sandal said AHS officers also made a mistake at his Falconridge store, which reopened Friday following a second inspection.
An AHS statement sent to Postmedia on Saturday said the three businesses were ordered closed “for evidence of uninspected meat onsite.”
It confirmed both Bangla Bazar and Bombay Meat were able to reopen after complying with the orders but did not explain how concerns over uninspected meat were resolved or if any errors were made.
“There is a serious health risk associated with consuming uninspected meats. The presence of uninspected meats within a facility also poses risk through potential cross-contamination of other foods via food processing surfaces and equipment throughout the facilities,” the statement reads.
“There have been no reported illnesses linked to this investigation to date.”
Al Sunny said that only after the intervention of an Alberta Agriculture inspector who tested the carcasses was the Bangla closure order rescinded. He questions why Alberta Agriculture or the vendor weren’t contacted sooner, before the store was forced to close.
“This raises serious concerns about the professionalism and conduct of the initial inspectors,” Al Sunny wrote.
“They could have easily sought assistance from Alberta Agriculture to clear any doubts, but instead, they took a drastic step by issuing a closure order, which caused significant financial and reputational damage to our business.”
An AHS memo provided by Al Sunny indicates the source of the lamb was unclear.
“The stamps on some carcasses were very blurry and do not provide a clear indication that the meat was inspected,” it reads.
Glassy Junction/Bikaner Sweethouse and Restaurant in Skyview Ranch was the third store issued a closure order Thursday. An AHS citation posted online said it sold uninspected meat and also had a “significant” mouse infestation, with droppings found in the kitchen and storage areas.
The Glassy Junction order lists numerous other violations regarding unsanitary conditions and improperly stored foods.
The latest AHS-ordered closures follow those issued to several Calgary businesses in April over the buying and selling of uninspected meat.
Four Calgary grocery stores, a catering service and a distribution centre, were ordered closed and led AHS to issue a public health alert, citing potential “significant” health risks if the meat was consumed.
The businesses were all later allowed to reopen following cleanup and inspection.
The April closure orders resulted from an investigation, which began in November and determined that sheep and goats were bought at local markets and then transported to rural properties in Mountain View, Rocky View and Wheatland counties where they were unlawfully slaughtered.
Four Calgary men were later charged with numerous offences tied to the slaughtering operations.
An investigation found the meat was delivered to stores and residences in Calgary.