Alberta meat stores reopen after AHS re-examines product, declares it fit for sale
Two South Asian-owned meat stores and one restaurant in Calgary have reopened after being closed by Alberta Health Services (AHS) last week.
The stores were accused of selling uninspected meat -- a claim the owners denied, saying they produced all the paperwork required to prove their case.
Surinder Sandal, owner of Bombay Meat Masala and Samosa, says she provided AHS inspectors with all necessary receipts from a licensed supplier to prove her meat was safe and inspected.
Despite this, her store was closed on Thursday.
"I have all the documents. Every single document. They didn't believe me," Sandal said.
Less than 24 hours later, AHS inspectors returned and declared all of Sandal's meat was fit for consumption -- the same meat that had been deemed unsaleable on Thursday was deemed acceptable on Friday.
The sudden reversal has left the store owners frustrated.
"I don't know what people are thinking about us and our business," Sandal said.
"This weekend it was very slow -- you can call it dead."
Siddiqui Mohammed, owner of Bangla Bazar, faced a similar ordeal.
AHS inspectors claimed the stamps on his lamb shanks were blurry and as a result, determined the meat to be uninspected.
Mohammed provided his paperwork and receipts to prove his case but was still closed down.
"I think they (AHS) need to be very careful, otherwise my business of 24 years could be destroyed," Mohammed said
Like Sandal, Mohammed's store was reopened within 24 hours after AHS inspectors determined the meat was fine.
However, the negative publicity has taken a toll on his business.
"This is very unfair with me," Mohammed said.
"It's hurting my reputation, my business, my sales and my stress. I really had a very, very tough time (the) last couple of days."
Raj Sidhu, owner of Bikaneer Restaurant, also experienced a drop in business after AHS posted a closure notice for his store.
"How do I explain to everybody where this meat came from and we gave them all -- all supplier names and all the receipts and everything already," Sidhu said.
The inspection reports have since been removed from the AHS website.
The business owners are seeking a statement from AHS acknowledging the erroneous closures.
CTV News reached out to AHS for comment but did not receive a response before deadline.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Vancouver quietly proclaimed Chip Wilson Day as billionaire installed sign calling B.C. NDP 'communist'
On the same day Chip Wilson erected a controversial sign at his Vancouver mansion, the city was quietly honouring the billionaire and his wife.
Danielle Smith facing leadership review Saturday to close out UCP convention
Some 6,000 United Conservative Party members are in Red Deer for the party's annual convention and will cast their votes today on what they think of Premier Danielle Smith's leadership so far.
Local sheriff asks FBI to investigate death of Black man found hanging in Alabama
The FBI is investigating the death of a Black man in Alabama, who was found hanging in an abandoned house, following a request from a local sheriff amid fears among community members who accuse local law enforcement of longstanding, unchecked misconduct.
India trashes Canada for linking home minister to Sikh activist plot
India officially protested on Saturday the Canadian government's allegation that the country's powerful home minister Amit Shah had ordered the targeting of Sikh activists inside Canada, calling it 'absurd and baseless.'
The impact of Trump's lies in Springfield, Ohio
Springfield, Ohio was once a manufacturing hub. Now, people know it for Trump's comments at September's presidential debate, when he famously - and falsely - told an audience of 67 million people that Haitians eat their pets, echoing claims that had circulated on social media.
Florida's convicted killer clown released from prison for the murder of her husband's then-wife
A woman who pleaded guilty to dressing as a clown and in 1990 murdering the wife of a man she later married was released from prison on Saturday.
Man says it's 'surreal' that officials euthanized pet squirrel Peanut
A man who took in an orphaned squirrel and made it a social media star vowed Saturday that New York state's decision to seize and euthanize the animal 'won't go unheard.'
Israeli forces capture senior Hezbollah operative in north Lebanon, Israeli military official says
Israeli naval forces captured a senior Hezbollah operative in north Lebanon, an Israeli military official said Saturday.
Americans in Canada cast ballot ahead of U.S. election
Stephen Winters says watching the U.S. election campaign from Canada as a dual citizen is like a parent watching their kid play sports.