Inspection campaign closes 15 dairy and cheese factories in Bekaa

The Ministries of Agriculture and Industry announced that they, "within the framework of ongoing national efforts to protect the health of the Lebanese consumer, safeguard the livestock sector, and support proper food production, continue to implement a strict inspection campaign on dairy, cheese, and milk preparation factories in various Lebanese regions, especially in the Bekaa area, in coordination with the competent security and judicial authorities."

The two ministries pointed out, in a statement, that "this campaign comes as a continuation of the plan led by the Ministry of Agriculture to protect livestock breeders and encourage the use of fresh natural milk in food industries, and combat fraud and counterfeiting in products that rely on alternative and unhealthy materials, in parallel with the Ministry of Industry's follow-up on the plan to close unlicensed factories or those that do not meet health and public safety conditions."

They explained that "based on the work of the joint committee between the two ministries, the specialized technical teams, supported by elements from the Financial Crimes Investigation Office and State Security, carried out a series of raids and field inspections targeting factories that manufacture and market products presented to consumers as natural dairy derivatives, such as cheeses, labneh, and mozzarella, while some of them are manufactured using vegetable oils and alternative materials contrary to approved specifications and standards."

The campaign resulted in "the closure of three additional factories in the Taanayel area, which, according to the statement of the director of one of the factories, were manufacturing products for Lebanese companies distributed in a number of cooperatives and commercial markets in Lebanon, especially in Beirut. Field inspections also showed that the aforementioned factories do not meet the minimum required health and technical conditions, bringing the number of closed factories to date to 15 in Bekaa, in addition to two warehouses in Beirut."

They affirmed that "this campaign is ongoing and will not stop, and will include all Lebanese territories without any exception, within the framework of a clear and firm policy to confront food fraud and tampering with the health of citizens, and to confront everyone who seeks to achieve illegal profits at the expense of consumer health, the rights of farmers and livestock breeders, and industrial institutions committed to applicable laws and regulations."

They called on "citizens to exercise caution and not to buy or consume any products of unknown origin or non-compliant with specifications, especially those manufactured in unlicensed factories and outside the framework of official oversight, due to the serious risks they may pose to public health and food safety."

They stressed that "consumer protection, enhancing food security, and supporting clean and committed national production represent a collective national responsibility," and affirmed that "the Lebanese state will not allow markets to become an arena for chaos or food fraud, and that the relevant authorities will continue to take the necessary legal and regulatory measures against violators, to preserve the health of citizens and consumer confidence in the Lebanese product."