Since the break out of the “Veviba scandal” early March, several tons of meat having passed the expiry date have been evacuated from the premises, report Thursday the papers L’Avenir, as they review the situation on the company’s Bastognard site. “The longer we wait, the more spoiled meat we’ll have,” indicates Christian Kerkhofs, one of the “crisis managers” who works behind the scene towards the reopening of activities on the site which is now near deserted.
The objective of these “temporary managers” sent to Bastogne “is to sanitize the whole site in order to be able to ask for a new accreditation, to find a favorable economic situation again, and to give a boost to the activities,” he reminds. But in order to do this, it is necessary “to clear and send off the refrigerated meat that is under seal,” of which the few tons which, meanwhile, have passed the expiry date, and have therefore been evacuated recently.
The AFSCA performed a control on the premises Wednesday, he adds. The agency’s report must determine if “the remaining meat can be cleared and recovered,” which is what the managers hope, or “if it should also be evacuated.” “In any case, this meat must go, so that we may clean the place,” he indicates.
While waiting for the hoped-for renewed authorization, and the reopening of the slaughter workhouse, at such a date “that is impossible to give at this time,” most of the employees are paid to stay home. “Everyone is still paid, by the Verbist family, which is good to note.”
The Brussels Times
