Bakery launches probe into video of maggot-filled pie

THE bakery named by former minister of justice Christlyn Moore as the source of a baked beef pie which contained maggots says it was conducting investigations as the named branch of its store did not sell beef pies. Contacted by Newsday on June 8, a store representative said, “We cannot confirm. The company is conducting an investigation at this point in time because at that particular branch, we do not sell beef pies, we sell lamb pies. We don’t sell beef, we sell lamb. An investigation is ongoing and the company would have issued a statement.” In a live video posted on Facebook, Moore claimed she she took a bite and broke off a piece of the pie to make “less of a mess on her desk.” Showing the maggots she found, she said, “For some reason the pie opened itself up and this is what I found in my XYZ (sic) food.” Moore claims she vomited “all over the place” and expressed anger and disbelief. As she continued to show the rest of the maggot-filled pie, she said, “Look at the rest of this nasty (expletive) that this is what they serving people. “I’m not normally at a loss for words, but what is this! I’m so upset, I’m so upset. Look at this! This is in food!” The bakery issued a statement on Friday. It expressed deep regret and apologised to the affected customer. “The health, safety and satisfaction of our customers are our top priorities and we are devastated this has occurred.” The bakery said this was the first isolated incident of this nature since opening during the covid19 pandemic, and said it was taking steps to address the situation. “We take this matter very seriously and are committed to addressing it with the utmost urgency and transparency.” The bakery said when it learned of the situation, an investigation was immediately launched to identify the source of the contamination. In the interim, the bakery announced the removal of all meat pastries and other potentially affected products, enhanced inspection and sanitisation measures and supplier review to verify the quality and safety of all ingredients used and to identify any failures that could have contributed. The bakery also said it was implementing additional training on food safety and handling for all staff. (With reporting by Enrique Rupert and Josette Deonanan.)