A resident of Moa, in the province of Holguín, reported on social media this Thursday that she found pieces of wood inside a mortadella purchased at a sales point on the corner of the Atlántico neighborhood. This post prompted numerous complaints from other citizens about the quality of the processed meats being sold in the municipality.
In the group on Facebook Desde MOA para el mundo, the woman explained that she showed the product to family members to warn them about the risks of purchasing it and then discarded it, as she lives far from the store where she bought it and could not return it.
"I showed it to my close family so they wouldn't get carried away buying that, and then I threw it away; I can't return it because I live far from where I bought it," he wrote in the comments of the post.
The complaint led to testimonies from individuals who questioned both the composition of the mortadella and the conditions under which it is made. Several users claimed that the sausage is produced in an artisanal manner in private homes in the Atlantic area and the initial buildings of the Miraflores neighborhood, although these assertions were not supported by sanitary evidence or independent verifications.
A resident who claimed to have purchased the product in that area described it as "a complete scam" and warned about the possible use of low-quality ingredients. She also suggested that the wood fragments might have been added to increase the weight or could be a result of poorly hygienic production practices.
The suspicion that foreign objects are added to increase the weight of the product was one of the most commonly voiced reactions. "This way it weighs more, and with a stick, it costs more," wrote one user. Another commented that some sellers would be willing to jeopardize consumers for greater profits.
Among the responses, there was also the hypothesis that the fragments were pieces of moringa added to enhance the nutritional value of the sausage, an explanation that generated skepticism.
Another commentator claimed that formaldehyde would be added to the product to extend its shelf life outside refrigeration, an accusation that was not supported by food analyses or evidence presented in the publication.
The complaints were not limited to the corner store on the Atlantic. Another resident claimed she bought mortadella at an establishment known as "El Tamarindo" and found two large stones inside. A third user stated that she purchased a sausage filled with white flour in the center, which, according to her description, was used to give it a more voluminous appearance.
In light of the succession of testimonies, a commentator suggested that consumers publish the names of those who deceive them, especially when it comes to food. "When everyone who has experienced such a deception, particularly regarding food, reports the names of the scammers on social media, it is very likely that they will stop because no one will buy from them," she wrote.
The complaints raise questions about the composition and the conditions under which the mortadella sold in Moa is made. However, the information provided by consumers does not confirm what materials the product contained, how it was produced, or whether there were any violations of health regulations.
A few days ago, a buyer from Havana found a supposed tick inside a cheese at an agricultural fair in Havana.
In September, a resident of Morón found a cockroach in a bread purchased from a street vendor. In January 2024, Cubans reported on TikTok that middle school children in Ceiba del Agua, in Artemisa, were given a snack with ham filled with worms.
The situation in Holguín is particularly serious: at the end of September, two people died in the province due to nitrite poisoning, a substance that authorities linked to a nearby house where processed meats were being made.
Related videos:
Filed under: