Muffin Break manager took expired ham out of bin to 'avoid wastage'
A Brisbane Muffin Break manager has admitted to taking expired ham out of a rubbish bin, after workers claim she warned them against wasting expensive food items.
Staff at the Westfield Chermside Muffin Break store have leaked text messages to the media, reportedly from the cafe boss warning them against throwing out expired food.
“We have so many conversations about these expired products,” read the text messages, according to 9News.
“…the price of shaved ham is $10.25… I took them out from the bin still trying to use it, but should I always doing this? is it right thing to do? Of coarse [sic] not!
“There are lots of stuff has been wasted like this way, However this shop really can’t afford this waste anymore,” the texts reportedly say.
Confronted by 9News on Tuesday, the manager admitted to taking the expired ham from the bin but claimed she just wanted to take a photo of it, and did not intend to sell it to customers.
The manager also reportedly warned staff she was considering giving their shifts to new workers if they failed to comply.
In a statement to Yahoo News Australia on Wednesday, a Muffin Break spokesperson said it took any breach of food safety and workplace health and safety regulations “very seriously” and was investigating the alleged practices.
“Muffin Break is committed to the highest standards of food safety and workplace health and safety, and we do not condone these alleged practices,” the spokesperson said.
“We are currently conducting a full investigation and have had our operational staff onsite yesterday and today.
“We are still investigating the matter, however our initial findings indicate that the ham was not used in any products for sale,” the spokesperson said.
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