Prime Minister Nawaf Salam considered that “food safety is a responsibility that we cannot neglect,” noting that “we must take all reports and information circulating about suspicions of fraud and tampering with food ingredients seriously, through procedures that integrate health follow-up and judicial investigations with control and prevention.” Salam said, during a meeting held at the government palace in the presence of a number of ministers, devoted to researching cases of food poisoning and suspicions of food fraud: “We listened to a presentation from the Minister of Public Health regarding the medical cases reported by hospitals in Beirut, with suspicion of being infected with trichinosis caused by the trichinella parasite.” The invitation to this meeting came after recording cases of poisoning in Akkar, northern Lebanon, most of them among children, including ten cases in the town of Benin, who were infected after eating sweets purchased from a street vendor. The director of Abdullah Al Rassi Governmental Hospital explained that 17 cases required hospitalization to complete treatment. He pointed out that the Ministry of Health followed up on these reports and conducted field investigations and laboratory tests, which showed the presence of parasites in a sample of minced meat at the “Nadini” restaurant, amid suspicions, according to preliminary investigations, of mixing the served meat with contaminated pork. The Governor of Beirut, Marwan Abboud, issued a decision on October 30, 2026, requiring the re-closure of the restaurant in downtown Beirut, after the results of laboratory tests were issued. The decision clarified, according to a statement from the Public Relations Department of the Beirut Municipality as reported by “An-Nahar,” that lifting the seals on the restaurant previously was not permission to resume its activity. With regard to preventive and supervisory measures, the Prime Minister announced the launch of a new framework for control and prevention led by the Lebanese Food Safety Authority, in cooperation with the relevant ministries and relevant agencies, to ensure food safety along the supply chain, from import and production to storage and distribution, all the way to the consumer. He added: “We commissioned the Lebanese Food Safety Authority, in cooperation with the relevant ministries, to prepare an immediate plan to inspect the facilities, including slaughterhouses and meat warehouses, and evaluate the extent to which they meet the health, technical and legal requirements, provided that the facilities meet the required conditions within a quick period, at risk of their closure and taking penal and administrative measures against their owners.” In this context, the security services will conduct a comprehensive survey of unlicensed warehouses and slaughterhouses, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, municipalities, and governors, to take the necessary measures. The warehouse that supplied meat to the “Nadini” restaurant in the Raouche area was operating without a license and did not meet the minimum health conditions, according to what LBCI reported from the Beirut Municipality. The Lebanese Food Safety Authority will also coordinate efforts with the Ministries of Agriculture, Public Health, Economy, Trade, Industry, Interior, Municipalities, and Security Services, under the supervision of the Cassation Public Prosecution. Salam pointed to working to strengthen its institutional capabilities, complete its supervisory and executive apparatus, and secure the necessary human and technical capabilities to enable it to perform its duties and exercise its full powers. Salam concluded: “Food fraud is a crime that affects people’s health, in addition to being a moral depravity. We will not be complacent in pursuing this file until we know where the fraud occurred and who is responsible for it, leading to holding everyone proven responsible according to the law accountable.” The health of people and the safety of their families are not subject to compromise, and this is a path that I will follow firmly and directly, through intensive meetings and measures during the coming days.”