after the Buitoni pizza scandal, a journalist from “Special Envoy” was hired in another factory of the Nestlé group

Since the case of the contaminated pizzas, the Nestlé group, owner of the Buitoni brand, has refused all requests for filming and interviews with “Special Envoy”. What happens in the group’s factories? Nestlé claims that health safety rules are respected, but what is it really? To find out, a journalist from “Special Envoy” was hired as a temporary worker at the Lactalis Nestlé factory in Vallet (Loire-Atlantique), which produces dairy desserts. These images were shot with a hidden camera.

Breaches of hygiene rules, lack of controls…

Once in the production area, the journalist quickly noticed that some employees had forgotten the basic health rules that were set out to her in a video. The interview she had on her arrival emphasizes hygiene, but the washing of hands seems to be very poorly controlled (only once in six months, according to one of the employees), and as for the state of the blouses… Each employee receives two. According to the communication department of Lactalis, an external service provider ensures their maintenance. But this device apparently does not concern temporary workers, who represent 10% of employees.

“I’ve been wearing the same blouse every day for three weeks. Traces of grease, yogurt, dust… it was in this outfit that I was assigned to the position of setting up the pots, at the start of the line production, in contact with the empty yogurt pots. No chef or quality manager came to see me to ask me to replace my blouse.”

A journalist who was hired as a temporary worker at the Lactalis Nestlé factory in Vallet

in “Special Envoy”

In the manufacturing workshop, another point attracts the attention of the journalist. She notices an employee sorting the finished products in the workshop. For an hour and a half, he has been handling them outside the cold rooms.

Break in the cold chain for several hours

These desserts must be kept in the fridge, at 4 degrees, whereas in the workshop, it is almost 26 degrees. The team leader explains that this is normal operation. According to the communication department of Lactalis, the products would tolerate a break of several hours of the cold chain without alteration…

Excerpt from “Pizzas Buitoni: chain negligence?”, a report to see in “Special Envoy” on October 27, 2022.

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