The Muslim Judicial Council Halaal Trust swooped on Pick n Pay at the V&A Waterfront after receiving a complaint about its halaal kitchen.
The MJCHT said a consumer contacted them last Thursday to complain about the “mixing of utensils and other equipment” in the store’s halaal and non-halaal delis.
MJC Halaal Trust director Sheikh Achmat Sedick tells Daily Voice: “The basis of the complaint is the alleged mixing of the utensils and other equipment designated for the Halaal Certified section.
“On receipt of the complaint, a high profile MJCHT delegation immediately went to investigate the matter and we did an in-depth investigation.
Sedick adds: “On questioning, the relevant dedicated supervisor and the appointed staff members based in the Deli Section, they vehemently denied the claims and dismissed it as incorrect, and two follow-up inspections had been done by an appointed inspector.
“The MJCHT confirms that the products on sale at the Pick n Pay Waterfront Deli are Halaal compliant.”
But sources at Pick n Pay say the complaint was valid.
“We’ve had situations where cooked food was taken from the non-halaal kitchen to the halaal kitchen, especially rice and vegetables,” says the insider.
The source says the staff was also questioned in front of the manager.
“They were afraid to speak up and since the first MJC visit, everything has genuinely been done right. I think they were shocked into doing the right thing now,” the source adds.
Pick n Pay spokesperson Tamra Veley says: “The MJC undertook an inspection of the V&A store and we were pleased with the positive outcome of their report.”