Viral tainted bread video triggers police probe

Police have been called in to investigate what Purity Bakeries described as a “blackmail attempt”, stemming from a viral video of a cockroach on a loaf of bread allegedly manufactured by the company.

The video, which is circulating on social media, features a woman who complained about finding the insect baked into the product.

However, the bakery said it has reported the matter to lawmen as a “blackmail attempt intended to injure the company, following Purity’s refusal to pay a significant sum of money to the complainant”.

It also cautioned “persons to whom the video has been circulated to carefully consider their actions before perpetuating the fraud against the company by forwarding the referenced video.”

However, the woman who complained about the tainted bread, Elisa King, told Barbados TODAY that while she did suggest the sum of $3 000 as compensation from the company, that was not a blackmail attempt.

King, a visitor here, recounted that she purchased the product on Monday and the roach was subsequently discovered by her son.

She said she reached out to both the Ministry of Health and Purity Bakeries to address the matter.

The woman said she visited the Winston Scott Polyclinic where she showed two health inspectors the product and they “had a look”, and then she went to Purity Bakeries where she said she met with the Quality Assurance Manager whom she identified as Mr Johnson.

“He said at his level, he can only give me an exchange of the product,” King said, adding that she turned down the offer.

“He said ‘so what would you want to settle the issue?’ So I said, ‘maybe monetary compensation, just in case my family gets ill’. I told him BDS$3 000. He said ‘I would have to forward it to a senior manager and I will definitely get back to you’.”

After what King described as some delay, she again reached out to the manager and told him she was on vacation and did not want to prolong the issue.

She further told him: “I think issues like this ought to be a priority so I am giving you up to 11 o’clock the Thursday.”

King insisted, however, that was not blackmail.

“I never demanded, I just refused an exchange of the product based on the fact of a visible roach in the bread. He is the one that offered, saying ‘what can we do to settle the matter?’ and I proposed some financial assistance just in case my family got sick to help out.”

“I don’t have time to be blackmailing anybody. How would it benefit me?” King added.

Barbados TODAY spoke with Purity Bakeries General Manager Rakeesh Bernard who would only say: “There’s a process to be followed. The matter was reported to us and we have to do our investigations.”

Purity added in its statement that the company has a well-established, consumer-friendly, product returns procedure by which it addresses legitimate product complaints.

“Purity is committed to the highest standards of production and quality control in the manufacture and delivery of all its products to valued customers in Barbados, as is evidenced by its rigorous internal hygiene regimen, and adherence to internationally accredited food safety standards,” it said. (SD)