PHOTO: Giza Governorate
A factory making bootleg tahini out of ceramic powder has been busted by authorities in Egypt.The ceramic powder, which is much cheaper than the sesame seeds tahini is usually made out of, was suspected of being used to bulk out the Middle Eastern sesame paste amid escalating food prices. The local authorities in El Saff, a city in the Giza region of southern Egypt, said over the weekend that they shut down an unlicensed tahini-making factory that was found to be using a mix of ingredients, including sesame, ceramic powder, peanut skins, and vegetable oil to produce the popular Middle Eastern sesame paste.The local authorities posted photos and a video of the bust on the backstreet factory in the village of El-Shorafa, which was sold under the brand name al-Rashid Tahini. Its labels said the creamy paste was made of “starchy materials, chickpeas, sesame, and peanut.”The video shared by Giza Governorate on social media showed piles of raw materials in sacks and plastic barrels. It said that the authorities seized a total of 2 tons of sesame seeds, 5 tons of ceramic powder, 5 tons of crushed peanut skin, and 200 kg of vegetable oil that was used in the production of the tahini.According to the statement, the bust was part of a campaign ordered by Major General Ahmed Rashid, the Governor of Giza, to crack down on illegal and unlicensed businesses as inflation and food prices soar in the country. The owner of the small factory in the village was arrested, and local authorities in al-Saf said that the legal process had started against him, without providing further details.The statement said that local police had started an investigation after receiving information about an unlicensed factory producing tahini from materials harmful to human health.The Giza Governorate said the authorities are taking strong measures to eliminate such practices elsewhere.
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