Cairo – The famous Banban chain in Egypt closed all its 110 branches, as well as its factories and facilities, in a sudden move that raised widespread questions about a trademark present in 9 Arab countries.
The sudden decision affected other entities linked to the series of food and beverage stores, such as (Bahij) for fish, (Shaltt) for pies and (Karam Al -Sham) for Levantine and (imaginary) food for fast food, after the discovery of “samples” that caused food poisoning cases, according to the official government offering.
But the sudden closure opened a wide door of speculation, especially since Bulbum has ranked quickly accompanied by a huge advertising campaign. It was established 4 years ago, and its activity extended from inside Egypt to 9 Arab countries, and about 25 thousand employees operate, according to the company.
Complaints
The beginning was, a few days ago, the closure of a number of branches in some areas in Cairo and some governorates following complaints from consumers about corrupt food products and possible poisoning cases.
On the other hand, the Banban series denied that the closure of the branches was linked to the cases of poisoning or any official medical reports or reports in this regard, explaining that the matter is related to an administrative closure “for organizational reasons that the company deals with with respect and transparency”, but the company indicated that the matter “goes beyond merely or violating”, expressing the existence of “questions that did not find clear answers”, according to the expression of the company.
For its part, the National Food Safety Authority indicated that its supervisory teams made extensive inspection campaigns on the buildings of Banban and the other chains in the place of complaints, in addition to monitoring any violations related to food fraud, according to a statement published by the Council of Ministers.
According to the authority, “the results of the analyzes resulted in the presence of a nurse in many food products intended for circulation, these bacteria are considered one of the main causes of food poisoning, and mainly affects the digestive system. Some products also contained internationally banned colors, while others were stored in an incorrect way, which may help the corruption of products and change their properties and corruption.”
appeal
In the midst of the crisis, the company issued an official statement in which it appealed to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El -Sisi to intervene urgently to protect it, stressing that the full closure threatens the source of the livelihood of thousands of families and disrupts an important export activity, noting that it did not receive an official clarification on the reason for the complete closure, despite its complete readiness to undergo any legal control or review.
It is noteworthy that during the past month of Ramadan, the Saudi authorities closed several branches of a series of milk in Riyadh, after monitoring poisoning cases related to their products, and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing announced the implementation of temporary closure procedures until the completion of investigations, amid assurances that control teams deal with the reports strictly.
Bulbul
- The company was established just 4 years ago.
- It is managed by Moamen Adel (an Egyptian veterinarian), CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors.
- It has 110 branches inside Egypt, and expanded to 9 Arab countries.
- It works about 25 thousand employees.
- All activities of the company are managed by 100%Egyptian hands.
- The tenth branch was recently opened outside Egypt in the Salmiya region in the State of Kuwait, to be No. 300 in the Arab world.
Bulban did not issue official financial statements that clarify its annual profits and revenues, and it is not listed on the Egyptian Stock Exchange and is not obligated to publish disclosures on its financial results, but the company’s board chairman Moamen Adel said that Bulban sells millions of products per day and employ about 25 thousand employees, which indicates the large size of its operations and its wide spread in the local and Arab market.
“A systematic campaign”
For his part, Dr. Moamen Adel objects to what he described as the “systematic campaign” targeting the company, as he asked in a phone call to one of the local TV programs: “Is it logical to perform a problem in one branch – if any – to close all branches?”
It is worth noting that the Consumer Protection Agency and the Supreme Council for Media Regulation were a few days ago to stop and prevent the circulation of Labbin’s declaration for violating public morals and ensuring the discrimination and abuse of the brand of another competitor.
Presidential response
In a rapid and exciting development, hours after the first statement, “Ben” returned to issue a new, more optimistic statement, in which she thanked President Abdel Fattah El -Sisi “for his rapid intervention” and his invitation to hold an urgent meeting with the concerned authorities, and the company confirmed its full commitment to food safety standards, which indicates the possibility of its return to work in the event of understandings with the supervisory authorities.
The company announced the next day its closed branches in Saudi Arabia.
